What We'll Always Be
by LeilanaIce
Summary: A series of Edward Elric and Winry Rockbell drabbles. Definite romance, comedy, action, angst, drama and definite EdxWin. Rated for later stories.
1. Chapter 1

What We Always Will Be

**She's Only My Mechanic**

He had her by the wrist and was pratically _dragging_ the poor, confused girl down the hallway at Central Headquarters. He was trying to outrun the drunk military officials that had been lingering outside in the hallway poking fun at the couple. Upon seeing the alchemist and the mechanic together, the usual group had been quite taken with ruthlessly teasing Edward about 'dating his mechanic and reducing the usual composed alchemist to a puddle of embarrassed mush. Finally tired of all the constant poking fun from a very drunk Colonel Mustang, Edward had decided to ditch the little semi-formal party going on at the moment, dragging Winry along with him. He was sick of hearing him yell "Go on Fullmetal! Go get some! She's a cutie and there's plenty of rooms where you can take her to!" and he was tired of shouting back, "It's not like that! She's just my mechanic!"

"Edward, I don't understand," the girl began in protest as he pulled her down the hallway. "Where are we go-," she began, but was cut off with a harsh 'shhh!' from the alchemist. He flung her around a corner and hid as a few soldiers came triapsing down the hall, red-cheeked, wavering slightly on their feet. It was more than obvious that they were completely smashed.

The blond alchemist rolled his golden eyes in irritation and impatience, waiting for the noisy trio to pass before grabbing the mechanic's arm once more and pulling her down the now deserted hallway. "I'm just getting tired of listening to their bantering about us," he complained in a hushed voice.

"Well if it's bothering you that much, then why don't you just leave?" Winry questioned him, jerking her wrist out of his grasp and placing both hands firmly on her hips. "I mean is _that _terrible for you to be seen with me? Don't forget that _you're _the one who asked me to this stupid military party in the first place, and _you're_ the one who kept telling everyone _she's just my mechanic!_" she exclaimed, obvious hurt in her voice. Her cheeks and ears were turning crimson from anger and small strands of blonde hair were laying slightly unkempt around her creamy, bare shoulders.

Edward stood stock still momentarily before coming to his senses. He sighed and shook his head. Seeing Winry standing there in her slightly shimmering, purple dress that reached just to her shins and the white heels on her feet made him realize what she had meant. Unlike him, she'd actually been enjoying herself, not only at the party but with him as well. Just because she was his mechanic, didn't mean she wasn't all female and really liked these types of things and dressing up pretty for occasions such as this.

Edward searched for the proper wording, stuttering for a moment as he tried to grasp the right apology but nothing came to him. He rubbed the back of his braided head nervously, eyes swiveling back and forth in thought. Still, he couldn't seem to find the right thing to say, so instead he blurted out, "What the hell are you talking about, Winry? I mean, it's no big deal that you're here with me or whatever," he continued, stumbling over his words. The blush was evident on his cheeks now, and he averted his gaze from hers, staring at the tall ceiling in the hallway of the HQ.

"Well _obviously _it is since you can't handle the military group gossiping about us, saying we're dating and all that then trying to run away from it all like it's not true," the blonde replied, turning her face away so that Edward couldn't see the oncoming tears in her baby blue eyes, but he certainly heard them in her voice. A terrible pang of guilt weighed heavily in his stomach. "If I'm that terrible to be around, then why did you invite me at all? I'm just going to go," she told him, spinning on her heel to march towards the exit. Her long, blonde ponytail whipped past her face and came to rest on her back as she began stalking away from Edward, obviously frustrated and hurt by the tactless boy's response. Edward did a facepalm for a moment, realizing what an idiot he'd been and chased her down, grabbing her by the wrist stopping just outside of the building's main library doors.

"Winry, look it...it's nothing like that. Let's...," the alchemist stammered, not quite sure what to say to rectify the situation. His eyes scanned the hallway, desperately not wanting to be overheard. "Let's go in here and talk," he proposed, opening up the door to the library and beckoning her inside.

Winry followed, somewhat reluctantly, he noted and felt even worse by how he'd acted. That hadn't been what he'd meant to say at all. Why the hell did he always have to be such a dumbass when it came to her? Why in the hell couldn't he just say the right words? I mean c'mon now, he was a scientist and alchemist for Heaven's sake. He'd formulated the words in his mind just like he did with any alchemic project. He'd studied her, practied the words over and over again in his head just like with alchemy, so why in the hell did he have to forget everything he wanted to say at the last minute? Girls were simply just more complicated than science would ever prove to be in this alchemist's opinion. Once he was certain they were out of earshot, Edward led Winry across the large room by the shoulders and seated her in a chair. She was sniffling, trying hide her face from his and covering her eyes with both hands. Edward grasped both of her wrists in his gloved hands and pulled them off of her face. He laid them gently in her lap and used his thumbs to wipe her tear tracks.

"Winry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It just gets embarrassing constantly having the guys all teasing me about-," he gulped, "...dating my mechanic." That was when the blush spread full-blown over his cheeks.

Winry's azure orbs widened like saucers as she stared back into Edward's warm amber ones. The word 'dating' had surely surprised her and for sure it even surprised him. The look on his face said it all. His eyes had even gone as wide as silver dollars from the mention of the word and it was all he could do to clap a hand over his mouth as if he'd just let a highly offensive swear word slip in front of a small child. He remained firm, continuing to wipe his mechanic's face dry with his gloved thumbs. Winry's eyebrows narrowed and then she stood up so swiftly that the chair flew out from underneath her and landed in a heap on the other side of the room. Edward leapedt to his feet and took a few steps back in rapid shock.

"OH SO WE'RE DATING NOW!" she screamed, flailing her hands. "LAST I KNEW I WAS JUST YOUR STUPID MECHANIC!" Winry felt frantically around her hips, searching for the wrench, but all her hands met was the soft fabric of her dress. No pockets had been there for her to hide it in. She grit her teeth, blue eyes still glittering with left-over tears from her little crying session, but they burned with agigation at the alchemist.

"WELL...YOU'RE MORE THAN JUST A STUPID MECHANIC!" Edward exploded back, his growing temper getting the better of him now. Though he had to admit Winry did look beautiful standing there, despite the tear-assaulted face and angry blue eyes. When he realized what he'd said, this time he _did_ clap a hand over his mouth.

Winry lowered her raised fists and placed them firmly once more on her hips. "OH, SO I'M A _STUPID_ MECHANIC NOW!?"

"GRAAAAAH!!! I NEVER ONCE SAID YOU WERE STUPID! I WAS JUST TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT YOU'RE MORE TO ME THAN JUST A MECHANIC, OKAY!" He shouted back, gloved hands clenched into fists at his sides. Once he cooled down, Edward grit his teeth and leaned up against the library wall, brooding. "Besides, why is it such a big deal that I'm dating my mechanic to those stupid idiots anyway?" he mumbled under his breath, but just loud enough that Winry heard him.

"So we're dating then?" she questioned him wryly, trying to keep the imminent smile from spreading across her flawless face.

"Yeah, I suppose we are!" Edward snapped back, shoving his hands in his pockets and turning his blond head away from her face. His face had probably gone three shades redder than what it had been earlier.

"Fine then," Winry replied folding her arms across her chest and staring at him across the room.

"Fine," Edward replied just as stubbornly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Bandages Don't Always Work**

I remember climbing up the hill that led to where their old house used to be, four years ago before they'd burnt it down to erase all memories of what once was. I remember all the times we used to roll down that hill, giggling wildy and ending up in a tangled heap at the bottom of it, only to run back up so we could tumble down once more. We'd always find ourselves positively dizzy by the time we all stood up to have another go. Sometimes we'd up rolling away from each other, or smack dab into one another.

They were my best friends, my brothers and I did everything with them. From enjoying summer picnics, to walking home from school, to tending to each other's boo-boo's whenever one of us fell down and got hurt. Edward would come to me, with a scraped knee and I would bandage it for him. Al would show me a growing, red lump on his head and I'd run and fetch ice for him. I had learned how to take care of these mediocre things such as this from my parents, so whenever when my best friends got hurt, I was always there to help heal their boo-boo's. I'll never forget the time I fell and cut open my elbow. My parents weren't here to fix my wounds for me this time. Granny had been busy attaching a new leg to a customer and couldn't be disturbed considering how tedious of a process it was, and so Edward had returned the favor and put a bandage over mine.

He'd found me in a crumpled heap near the swing that hung so carefree from the large branches. Their father had put up that swing for them. It was one of the few good memories, Edward still had of his father before he'd left the boys and their mom. He and Al had gone inside of their house to fetch lemonade for us and I decided to have a go on the swing while they went. I had gone a little too high than I should have and lost my grip on the rope. I fell off and my elbow struck the tree as I went soaring down. Back then it seemed like a long way to fall. I took one look at my elbow to see blood pouring down from it and instantly started bawling my eyes out. Edward was just coming out of the door to his house when he saw me sitting on the ground, clutching my arm. He had heard me crying. I remember seeing him drop the lemonade tray he was carrying, and he ran across the yard, rushing to my side.

"You stupid!" he had yelled at me. "Why'd you go on the swing by yourself!? You know you're not supposed to do that without me or Al out here with you, Winry!"

His words had only succeeded in making my 7 year old self cry even harder. Even when we were kids, that little runt was still always as tactless as ever. I could tell by the look on his face, he felt extremely guilty for making me cry even more than what I already was. He had sighed and was somewhat hesitant before he removed the button-down shirt he was wearing off of his shoulders and used it to clean up the blood on my arm. He stared at me, with those intense, golden eyes of his. I could tell that even though he seemed angry, he was worried about me too.

"You sit right there and hold my shirt there on your arm," he told her wagging a finger at her seriously. "Don't move. I'll be right back!"

I just nodded my head in response, my voice too shook up from crying to respond and the pain in my elbow had really started to bother me. At that point in time, I had wished so much that my parents were here to take care of it for me. They had always used this type of antiseptic in a spray can. Sure it stung when it first hit the wound, but after the bandage had been placed over it, the pain disappeared. Within moments, Edward had returned, clutching a big, white box in between his small hands and seated himself down on the grass next to me. Slowly and carefully, he removed his shirt that had been holding in the blood on the gash in my elbow and he dabbed at it to stem the flow.

I watched him as he opened the box, took out the spray can of antiseptic and a big bandage. He held my arm in his hand while he worked. I could remember his hand being so warm to the touch and found myself having a little girlish thought as to why on earth I rejected his marriage proposal last year? Even though I'd been overwhelmed by laughter at the mere thought of marrying either of the Elrics, I had to admit that as much as I adored Al, I think I adored Ed just a little but more. My thoughts were quickly jabbed away as Edward spoke my name.

"Winry, this may sting a little bit," he had warned me, and trying his best to sound like a grown-up.

It made me want to cry all over again because it sounded just like my parents, but I didn't. I bit my lip as he shook the can and pressed the nozzle. The familiar sensation of the cool moisture hit my skin and it really stung like the dickens, but I didn't cry. I continued to bite my lip. I knew Ed hated it when I cried and I was going to be a brave girl for him. Once he finished spraying the antiseptic on my arm, he removed the cover from the large bandage and tenderly, carefully placed it on my boo-boo. Sure enough, within moments the pain was gone and I was okay again. He'd always had a way with making me feel better, no matter what way I was hurt in. Whether it be people teasing me in school or falling down and getting cuts, scrapes and bruises. He might have acted mad, but he was always there to tend to me.

I can remember when I found out my parents had been killed in the Ishbal massacre and what the brothers did for me. They had been there for me, but I was pretty cruel to them. I lashed out at them a lot, even though I didn't mean to. I cried a lot too, but Edward had always been there right beside me, doing what he could to comfort me. I remember the day he and Alphonse were bringing me transmuted little toy horses as gifts and I just knocked them out of their hands like they were nothing to me. My parents were gone, dead. Nothing in the world mattered. I also remember finding them hours later, crying their eyes out in Trisha's arms and wondered why, but never said anything. I wondered if maybe I hurt them with my words. I still do to this day, truthfully.

I also remember the night their mother died. I remember her last words as she asked Edward if he would be a sweetheart and transmute a ring of flowers for her, just like his father had always done. Her hand had been clasping theirs and it had let go so slowly, so painfully and the look in their eyes nearly reduced myself to tears. I hadn't seen my parents die, but Edward and Alphonse were actually _holding _their mother's hand as she died. I had stood by them, trying my best to comfort them after the funeral was over. Alphonse had retreated into mine and Granny's house. I'd found Ed sitting alone in front of his mother's grave. His breath had been completely hitched from crying so hard and he didn't seem to have any tears left in him.

I sat down beside him a little nervously and I can remember saying to him, "Are you okay, Ed? It's getting real cold out here and you shouldn't be alone."

He just shrugged his shoulders at me, before turning his tear-tracked face towards me. "It's not cold anymore," he'd said before he started to cry again. All I could do was just hug him. I didn't know how to bandage this wound.

That was something I'll never forget, but nothing could have prepared me for what was next to come. I couldn't help but wonder that night...that terrible pain-staken night when Alphonse appeared at our front door in the suit of armor, clutching a half-dead, bleeding Edward in his arms and pleading for us to save his brother, would I be able to help bandages those wounds? Could I make the pain go away just as he did for me all those times?

I stayed with him all throughout the duration of his prepping for automail surgery, the actual surgery itself and his rehabilitation from it. I was there to mop up the sweat on his forehead. To wipe the constant tears that leaked from his eyes underneath the cloth every single night as he blamed himself for the loss of Al's body. I was there reassure him that his younger brother would never hate him, and that he should be grateful that Edward had risked his life to save his soul. I was there with him when he'd recovered enough to start to learn how to use the automail. I was there to place an arm around his waist at just 11 years old and help him stand on his new limb. I had been there to help him learn to use his arm, to hold a spoon, or a pen and how to get used to the nerves connected to the metal that allowed him to manuever his fingers. I was there throught it all, but I still wondered, was I bandaging his wounds properly?

That fateful day had arrived. The day that brothers took flaming torches to the combines of their own home and burnt it literally to the ground. Nothing was left but ash and burnt wood. All memories of their childhood and the lives they endured in that home had been erased. As I watched their descending backs with tears streaming down my face, I wondered if I had failed at bandaging those wounds as well? The the last words Edward had said to me were "Winry, your crying hasn't changed at all." He'd been so haughty about it, that runt. With his hands on his hips and a playful grin on his face. Looking back, I could tell he was just being that way to mask the pain he was feeling.

Here it is, 5 years later. Edward is laying right by my side, in a cozy warm bed with me. We're both content and he knows I love him. He returns his love to me as well. While he continues to keep those golden eyes of his filled with a fire, a burning passion at what he has to do in life, I can still see sadness and remorse somewhere in the depths of them. His eyes truly are the window to his soul, I've come to discover after our years of being together. Even now, sometimes when I lay my face down on his chest, I can hear the steady beating of his heart, but something in it still sounds broken and empty, as if there is a large crack, a wound right through it. I think to myself will I be able to bandage this wound and heal it for him, just like he's done for me all these years?


	3. Chapter 3

**Of Picnics and Elements**

"Edward," came her voice, light and persistant. The blonde had her hands placed on both hips as she watched the alchemist stuffing his face into book after complicated book inside of the main library in Central's Headquarters. He had a pencil placed in his left hand, three books were laying wide open and haphazardly across his lap while in his automail hand he was holding another book up to his face and squinting into it's faded pages.

"Haven't you done enough research today? You promised you'd take me and Al on a picnic," his mechanic pointed out as she stared pointedly down at the adolescent boy, so absorbed in his work.

"Hrmm, eh, what?" Edward's voice mumbled from behind the book he currently had his face shoved into. "Just hold on a sec, Winry. I need to write this formula down," he told her, gazing downward at the scattered paper that lay next to him on the floor. "Alright, carbon for sure, it needs that retain hardness...ummm, four times harder than the next hardest natural mineral, corundum, hmm, let's see...physical characteristics, but I want to make it crystal clear. I don't want any other...yes that's right," he continued to mumble words that Winry could only catch but not quite comprehend.

He scribbled down what looked like more jibberish on the paper to Winry followed by a few weird transmutation circle sketches. She didn't understand the first thing about alchemy or the science that the Elric brothers delved themselves into every single day of their lives it seemed. The mechanic only understood the synthetic beauty of her automail building. Winry's nerves had been lingering on the border of impatience now, and the girl began tapping her foot against the hard wood floor.

"Edward, you have all the time in the world while you're here to study!" Winry pointed out and snatched the book from his hand. The blond cried out in protest but Winry just rolled her azure orbs ignored him. "Why for the life of me I'll never understand why you had to hole yourself up here in the library to do more stupid research on things when you promised me a picnic!"

"Winry would you just hold on and be patient for a moment!" Edward snapped as he reached up and snatched the book back from the girl. "I'm onto something right now so just shut up!"

Winry blanched, surprised at the obvious irritablity in his voice, but that didn't help matters much. It only grated further on the mechanic's nerves. She folded her arms stubbornly across her chest and leaned against the bookshelf that Edward was laying back against. "Fine then," she grumbled. "I guess poor Al will have to wait at the park all by himself. He'll wonder why his brother and best friend are ditching him you know," she added haughtily, but Edward wasn't listening.

Once more, the alchemist was buried back into his book. "Alright, perfect in four directions forming octahedrons, fracture is conchoidal, streak is white. Now, let's see kimberlite rock and that should be it!" he slammed the book shut, bending over to his paperwork once more and writing something else down. Edward gazed upward at the hotheaded mechanic who was clearly agitated with him and found himself blushing. "Uhh, Winry?" he began nervously, rubbing the back of his blond braid.

"What, Ed? Are you going to tell me that we're _finally _going to leave? Because you know, by the time we get there it'll probably be way past lunchtime anyway!" she snapped, pointing towards the picnic basket that was sitting on the table awaiting them.

"Well ah, I have a lot of work to do so I was just gonna tell you to go ahead and take the food and have the picnic with Al by yourselves," the blond stammered, the blush becoming even more evident on his cheeks.

"WHAT!? So you're not going with us!?" Winry asked incredulously. "How often is it that we all get to spend time together and you're dissing us!? It's not fair, Ed!" the Rockbell girl exploded, her fists clenched into tight balls at her sides.

She stared daggers into Edward's apprehensive, golden orbs, but he didn't move. Though he did seem to shrink as she towered over him, it was obvious that he wasn't about to let up on this. This apparent research he was doing seemed to be really substantial. While Winry understood the importance behind the Fullmetal Alchemist's work, it still upset her. She wasn't really angry with _him_, she was just angry at the fact that they never really did get to spend much time together as it were. Being that he actually had a day off to do so and was chosing to close himself up in the library to commence studying was frustrating, just as much as it was confusing, to her. Nevertheless, the blond mechanic found her temper getting the better of her.

"WELL FINE THEN!" Winry remarked irately, stomping across the room and grabbing the picnic basket off of the table. "WE DON'T NEED YOU THERE ANYWAY!" she found herself screaming at him, but immeditately felt guilty and sorry as she watched an expression mixed with surprise and a little bit of hurt cross his face. However, the teen continued to go off like a bombshell. "I CAN SEE YOUR SCIENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN US!" _Than me..._she thought to herself with a harsh pang through her chest. "I EVEN DRESSED IN SOMETHING NICE FOR THIS TOO!" she added pointing to the light pink sundress she was wearing, spattered with yellow and white daises on it. The 15 year old spun sharply on the edge of her heel and began to head towards the library doors.

"Winry! Wait! Just calm down!" the alchemist pleaded, waving the palms of his hands at her. "WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST STOP FOR A MINUTE AND COME BACK!" Edward exploded, standing up so abruptly that the pile of books he had in his lap fell out and came crashing down on the hard wood floor. It caused the mechanic to whirl around and stare at him momentarily with wide sky-blue eyes.

"What!" Winry snapped, staring him with a furrowed brow. "I don't want to listen to you babble on about how important this is, or how you _have_ to get this done, because you've already said it! UGH! You're so_ selfish _Edward Elric!"

Edward stared at her, his golden eyes widened like saucers before his eyebrows snapped down to leave hints of anger marring his handsome features. "Well FINE then! Just go, Winry! You're only in my way as it is!"

Winry gasped, slightly hurt by his words before turning around once more in an infuriated huff, opening up the library door and slamming it behind her. She leaned her back up against the door to calm down the heavy breathing that had commenced in her chest from tempers rising. Why was this so important anyway? Sure he was still doing research on getting Alphonse's body back wasn't he, but why today of all days? Winry sighed, hanging her head. She had acted a bit irrationally in there to Edward; okay not a bit...she'd acted VERY out of line. The blonde turned around to face the tall, white door and began to place a hand on the gold knob to make another entrance. Edward _did_ deserve an apology from her after all. As her hand began to turn the job, she decided against it.

"Coward," Winry mumbled to herself. Feeling very disheartened, the girl turned and left the building, heading across town and to the park where Alphonse was currently waiting on her and his brother. She never did see the burst of light that had shone underneath the library door the moment the girl walked out.

It was nearing dusk when Winry and Alphonse found themselves back in the HQ and right outside of the library door. Edward had never even came to join them during their picnic, but the armored boy had managed to cheer Winry up a bit. "Why don't you just go inside and talk to Brother?" the younger Elric proposed, pointing towards the door with his cast-iron hand. "I'm sure all it was was just a misunderstanding, Winry. Besides, you know how Ed is when it comes to researching. If he finds something new, he won't stop studying it until he understands it to the max."

"I guess you're right," Winry sighed, her shoulders slumping. "What should I say to him? I mean, I guess I was pretty harsh on him and I hadn't meant to be. What if I really hurt his feelings or something?" she questioned, staring up at the 7 foot suit of armor apprehensively. For a moment she was serious and then she found herself giggling. "Nah, we're talking about Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. I highly doubt a could hurt _his _feelings," she added, sounding amused by her own worries.

The metal clanking of Alphonse's armor resounded through the deserted hallway as he shook his head back and forth. "I don't know Winry. I think maybe you could have hurt his feelings and that's why he didn't show up in the first place," the boy pointed out. "Brother might do a pretty good job at hiding his emotions, but I know how he is, and I've seen what he's like when it's just been the two of us. Go on in there, Winry. Talk to Brother," Alphonse encouraged the girl, placing both of his hands on her shoulders and carting her towards the door. "I'm going to head back up to the dorm. Could you let him know that's where I am? You know how Ed tends to worry if he doesn't know where I am."

"O-oh...I-I, yeah...sure thing Al," Winry replied stumbling over words, surprised at Alphonse's swift departure and at his words. Ed could really get his feelings hurt by her? It seemed too hard to believe. She could have sworn she heard a quiet chuckle issue from him as he descended down the hallway and towards the staircase. Winry watched until the suit of armor was out of sight and then slowly placed her hand on the knob, turning it and creeking the door open. The lights were still on in the library. "Edward?" she spoke in a voice almost inaudible. "Are you still in here?" the mechanic peeked her head inside to find the same bout of scattered papers, pencils and books she'd left earlier.

What she didn't expect to find was an alchemist all curled up on the hardwood floor and laying on his side, his back facing her. Was he sleeping? Winry tiptoed across the room in case he was asleep, and slowly knelt down to where Edward's head was. Her face caught his, long golden bangs stirring gently under soft breath. She saw his mouth slightly open. The blond was sound asleep.

"Edward," the girl spoke his name again, only this time it was a bit louder, but the alchemist didn't respond. He was completely off in his own little world of dreams and as soundly as he slept, she most likely wouldn't be able to awaken him without extreme effort. Winry's eyes scanned all the books and papers that littered the floor in front of him when her eyes fell on a glint of something amidst all the mass of studying. Squinting and leaning inward to see what it was, Winry's eyes met something that she'd never expected to see in a thousand years.

It was a gold, round ring with a perfectly shaped diamond perched right on top. It was flawlessly centered and cut. Underneath the ring was a small piece of paper which had words scribbled down on it that was undoubtedly Edward's handwriting. The mechanic struggled to read them, but it was hard to see from where she was. She didn't want to step over Edward in fear of waking him. What she could read, nearly sent the girl into a state of disbelief. Her eyes had came to rest on the word 'promise' and somewhere underneath it, her name. The automail tech's eyes misted over, unable to believe what she was seeing. She lightly pulled the paper out from under her ring and held it to her chest.

_I know that you're angry at me right now and I'm sorry._

_I didn't make this ring as a bribe or anything like that. _

_I also promise I didn't break the automail. _

_I made it so that, despite how far away Al and I are it's_

_a promise that no matter what happens, I'll always find _

_my way back home to you. It's a promise ring. Wear it_

_and remember that I don't break my promises, Winry._

Winry fell back onto the floor, and lowered her head, feeling even more miserable than she had earlier. Edward had been in here, studying his brains off so he could create this for her. She'd been so cruel to him and instead of being understanding, she'd snapped at him and accused him of being selfish, when all this time he'd been in here working selflessly to craft something this special for her. Winry couldn't hold back the tears that had gathered in her eyes now and she let them go with a whimper to follow. She leaned against the wall, holding her hand to her mouth, trying not to cry too loudly, but Edward stirred awake the moment she released a sob.

Rubbing his eyes he sat up from the spot he'd been laying in to glance over at the girl. "Nggh," he groaned, blinking his eyes a few times to allow them to get adjusted to the light in the room before they came to rest on the crumpled form of Winry. "Winry?" he mumbled her name in the quiet of the library. Her muffled sobs where coming from the corner where she sat hunched. The mechanic turned her body away from Edward's, hiding her face in between the wall and the bookshelf. Edward sighed, getting up and going over to the weeping girl. He stood for a moment staring at her before reaching down and placing his hand gently but firmly around her wrist.

"Idiot, what are you crying about?" he inquired softly, pulling Winry to her feet.

"I-I'm so sorry Ed. I had no idea you were in here...and you were doing...and I saw...I'm just really sorry for yelling at you and calling you selfish," Winry told him, bursting into fresh tears. She buried her face in her hands the moment the alchemist let go of her wrist.

The instant that he'd heard her words, Edward knew that Winry had saw what he'd made for her. He felt his face instantly flush almost feverishly and glanced over to where he'd accidentally left the ring. "Wha- you...I-I mean...you weren't...," Edward hesitated before rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "You weren't supposed to see that yet," the blond mumbled, looking down at the ground.

"I know, I figured I wasn't supposed to. I just feel so terrible about yelling at you like I did and then all this time you were-," Winry began, but was cut off by a harsh 'shhh!' from the alchemist.

"Just...don't worry about it Winry, okay?" He stammered, his face so red he could have passed for a lobster. He sat down on the floor of the library and picked the ring up, holding in between his metal thumb and index finger, swiveling it and back and forth. "Okay like...I'm not really good with these kinds of things so yeah," he mumbled, staring at the piece of alchemized jewelry. "I didn't know how to make diamonds so I was studying on what materials were needed to create it. I gathered what I needed for the equivalency to make one and made this ring for you. I created the gold band out of some coal and coins," he added sounding a bit proud of himself. "So yeah...dammit, I had everything written down on a piece of paper. What the hell did I do with it?" Edward began looking around, shoving scattered papers everywhere.

"You mean this one right here?" Winry stated in a small voice, holding the paper up that he'd written on.

"Uhhhh, you saw that too?" the blond inquired, his voice shaking with apprehension, turning his head away from Winry's. "Well yeah, that's what I wanted to say, so like...you'd know I'll always be back."

"I really do love it Edward. It's so-," Winry tried to say but was interrupted once more by Edward.

"Yeah yeah I know I know. Just put it on already, okay?" he told her, holding his arm out and facing away from her. Anything to do so he wouldn't have to look at her. Edward handed her the ring and placing his elbow on his knee, his chin in his hand with his eyes averted from the girl so he wouldn't have see her expression or anymore tears. He placed a stubborn look on his face and stared at the ceiling.

"Thanks, Edward," Winry stated gratefully, placing the ring on her left, ring finger. Without any type of warning, she lept into his arms, holding him tightly against herself. "I'm so sorry," she whispered apologetically in his ear. "I really truly am."

The alchemist was rather stunned at first, but then allowed himself to relax and wrapped his arms around her as well. "I know, Win."


	4. Chapter 4

**Remnants of October 3rd **

It was a slightly cool, breezy autumn evening. The wind was rustling the leaves in the branches across the trees, bits of orange and red drifting mindlessly to the ground as they broke loose. Branches closest to the window tapped and scratched at the glass snapping the busy mechanic out of her work. Winry's blonde head lifted to gaze out at the sunset, that painted the sky in red, orange and gold, just outside of her workshop. She could feel a small chill in the room and goosebumps slowly made their way down her bare arms. She pulled off her work gloves and rubbed her arms with her warm hands. Winry figured she might as well head back inside for a cup of hot cocoa to warm up. She was almost certain that Edward and Alphonse would still be awake as well and so she'd have them for company. Well, at least for one more night. The brothers had told her they were heading back to Central tomorrow afternoon.

Pinako had been in bed resting after catching a nasty illness, so Winry had basically taken on a large workload, including the Brothers who'd traveled back home in need of assistance. Edward had shown up with a busted leg, earning him a few new skull fractures, but nevertheless, she'd put all other work aside to fix his leg. Edward always came first. Now that he was done, she'd been spending almost the entire day catching up on all maintenance for her other customers and building a new piece for one of Granny's regulars. Noticing that the sun had been beginning to set, Winry felt she should probably get back inside and spend time with Edward and Alphonse, but at the same time she didn't want to. It was too hard for her to know that they would be here one moment in her presence, but tomorrow their decending backs would be all she'd see heading away from home, from her.

As the mechanic stepped into the house, her eyes fell on the coat rack and she felt her heart rise in her throat. Edward's coat was missing and his boots that usually sat right underneath it were gone too. Just as quick as her heart had jumped she felt it fall down through her stomach and land somewhere heavily in it's depths. Had the brothers already left without even bothering to tell her? Fighting back the urge to either scream or cry, Winry dashed across the kitchen and into the living room. A huge sigh of relief escaped her lips as her eyes came to rest on the 7 foot suit of armor seated on the couch, reading a book. Across from him in the chair was Granny Pinako. She was reclined with a blanket pulled up over her and was sound asleep.

"Al?" Winry managed to croak, gazing him. "Thank goodness you guys didn't leave."

"Oh, hey Winry," Alphonse replied as quietly as possible, putting his book down on the arm rest. He placed a finger to his mouth and pointed at Pinako. "Granny came out here for awhile to chat with me and ended up falling asleep, so don't talk too loud."

"Don't worry, I won't," Winry replied as she crossed the room and placed a hand on her grandmother's forehead. "Her fever's gone down," the girl acknowledged with a smile. "I always hate it whenever Granny gets sick. It's not very often, but when she does, she just seems so frail as opposed to how she normally is."

"Yeah, but Granny's tough. She'll be fine," Alphonse reassured Winry as the mechanic took a seat next to him. "So what's wrong, Winry? I can tell by the look on your face you seem upset by something."

Winry sighed and let out a small chuckle. "Well, truthfully I thought you guys had left without telling me goodbye," she admitted feeling an embarrassed blush rise on her cheeks.

"Why on earth would you think something like that, Winry?" Alphonse inquired, his clanking body turning towards the embarrassed mechanic. "Oh, I bet I know why."

"Yeah, I saw Ed's boots and coat were gone. I guess all I could think was the worst," Winry told him with a slight shrug. "Do you happen to know where he went by any chance?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah, Brother said he was going to go for a walk. He said he'd be back in a little while. He's been gone for a couple of hours now," Alphonse answered, turning his face back to his book. Winry noted that his voice had suddenly sounded very monotone, and she couldn't help but wonder if Ed and Al had been in a fight. She decided not to press him for the answer but to go and find Edward herself.

"Alright then, I'll go see if I can find him," Winry told him standing up and smoothing her skirt. "I'll bring him back home, okay?" she added, smiling over at him.

Alphonse just nodded his head. "He said he wanted to go alone," the boy added in the same tone of voice.

"Well, he can't stay alone out there forever. Besides, he might get lost considering how long it's been since you two have been here," Winry remarked with a giggle. "Don't worry. I'll find him and bring him back."

Winry crossed the living room, went through the kitchen and back to the coat rack where her little black jacket had been hanging besides Edward's red coat. As she pulled the coat on, she caught the calendar out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at it for a moment before something clicked into place. She felt hot anxiety course through her body. Winry slowly brought a hand to her mouth staring wide-eyed at the date on the calendar. It was October 3rd. This was the first October 3rd that the brothers had been back in Resembool since the day they'd burnt their home down. Instantly knowing where the older Elric was, Winry pulled her arm through the other sleeve of her jacket, sprinting out the house at the same time.

Winry could recall at times throughout the today, as she'd busied herself in her workshop, the Elric brothers coming in to talk to her about various things. She'd ended up snapping at them, telling them she was trying to concentrate and couldn't work with a bunch of background chatter. At those words, Edward and Alphonse had left the room and left the steaming blonde back to her work. They hadn't returned for the rest of the day.

Thinking back on it, Winry hadn't noticed how the boys had been trying to act cheerful and even their laughs had sounded fake. She realized it now and smacked herself in the forehead as she ran up the familiar hill, leading her to where the remains of the Elric's home used to stand. _Oh Edward...Alphonse. I had forgotten that's what today was. I'm so sorry! I was so cruel and so tactless to both of you when all you wanted was to just talk and probably not think about what today is. This is your first October 3rd here since you guys had burnt down the house too..._

She reached the top and stopped a decent ten feet away as her eyes fell on the image before her. Edward was standing in front of the remains of his home, his hands clenched into fists at his sides and shoulders visibly slumped. The massive, orange sun cast shadows of the half-burnt tree and Edward across the ground like a blanket. Winry could only begin to imagine how hard this was for him and how many memories were currently raiding his mind like the plague. She slowly went up to him and stopped. Winry stood behind the alchemist momentarily before wrapping her arms around his waist and holding him close. The blonde felt his body go completely rigid, not realizing who was holding him at first obviously and then relax as he allowed himself to be enveloped by her hold. Winry pressed the side of her face against his braided mane, taking in every sound of his beating heart.

"You know," came his voice, sounding almost hoarse. "I didn't really think it'd be this hard to be back on the day, you know?"

"I know, Edward," Winry told him,unable to hide the trepidation in her voice. She squeezed sky-blue her eyes closed that were burning with unshed tears for him and sniffled against his back. Winry knew that Edward and Alphonse never cried and she did for them, always. Right now, Edward seemed like he could use a good cry and so Winry cried for him, holding him even tighter. She felt his gloved, metal hand close over her wrist that was wrapped around his front and squeeze it gently.

"You idiot, there's no reason to cry," the alchemist told her in the same raspy tone.

"But, you won't. You and Alphonse won't and so I have to cry for you," Winry admitted as she felt her arms being removed from his waist by his hands. He pulled her next to him, one hand clasped around hers, staring straight ahead.

"Heh, there's no reason to cry," the alchemist told her, releasing her hand and shoving them into his pockets.

"Edward, are you alright?" Winry asked, gazing over at him. His bangs were hiding his face from her view, but Winry could tell he felt her eyes on him.

Edward was silent for a moment, not taking his eyes off of the burnt wreckage that used to be his home. "Yeah," his voice cracked. "I'm fine," he insisted, but Winry could feel him starting to tremble. Edward struggled for a few moments to maintain composure before speaking again. "Winry, I can still see everything," the blond began, his voice shaking with bitterness and upset.

The girl could feel her heart starting to pound. Stubborn, bull-headed Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist was going to actually open up and talk to her? The mechanic remained silent as he went on. "I can see everything from the time Mom died, to the time me and Al tried to bring her back, and I can see the time I put his soul into the armor. I can still see the flames from the day when we burnt down our house and left without a look back. I just...never thought that being here on the actual date would be so hard," he told her, his voice barely brushing a whisper.

"It's okay for it to be hard on you, Edward. It's okay to feel what you're feeling. It's not wrong," Winry assured him, pulling his hand out of his pocket and squeezing it in hers. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks, but the mechanic managed to keep her voice as steady and gentle as she could. "You and Al experienced a lot of trauma here, so it's only natural that you'd feel this way. You're only human after all."

Edward lowered his head and laughed bitterly. "Yeah, human...I suppose it was Al who told you what today was?" he questioned changing the subject and still not removing his golden orbs from the site.

"No, I figured it out myself, but only at the last minute. Edward, I'm so sorry for earlier. I honestly didn't mean to snap at you like that," the girl began to apologize but Ed held up a hand to silence her. He shook his golden head.

"Don't worry about it Winry, you didn't know. It's my fault that I didn't tell you in the first place," he insisted. The was a gust of wind that blew back Edward's bangs from his face and Winry gasped softly as she caught sight of him. He had tear tracks lining his cheeks. No wonder he'd tried to keep his face hidden from her. The mechanic didn't say anything, just leaned in closer to him and closed her eyes.

"No, it's my fault for not realizing it sooner," she whispered into his shoulder.

"Winry, why after all this time does this place still haunt me?" Edward questioned. He pulled out the silver pocket watch from his pants and flipped open the lid. "Is it because I engraved the stupid date on the inside of this? Is it because I'm forced to constantly remember my sin and what I did to my younger brother? Why, Winry?" he reiterated, turning around to face the girl. Tears were were filling his golden eyes and Winry fought back the urge to grab him and hold him to her again. He flipped the lid on his watch shut once more and shoved it back into his pocket. He bit his bottom lip and hung his head, turning once more back towards what was left of his house. Winry could tell he was trying to fight back his tears.

"It's nothing like that, Edward," Winry told him, beginning to cry all over again herself. She just couldn't help it. "It's just something that can't so easily be forgotten." She wrapped her arms around one of his, holding it tightly to her chest.

"All of this is my sin, of what I tried to do and where I landed my little brother, who didn't even deserve this in the first place. This is my curse and it'll continue to haunt me until I can atone for what I've done," the alchemist told her, voice choked. He lowered his head, allowing his long golden bangs to curtain his face from Winry's view.

Sighing, Winry released his arm and walked around to face him. She grasped his damp cheeks in her hands, raising his face to look at hers. God, he looked so torn. "You can't continue to think like that Edward. What would Al say if he could hear you right now? If he could see the way his big brother was right now? Is that why you didn't want him to come, so you could continue to stand here, torment yourself and blame yourself for everything that happened? You were so young Ed, so young and all you wanted was your mom. If you had known it would lead to something like this, then it never would have happened. You can't constantly let all of this weigh you down. It's not just your burden to shoulder. Al's shouldering it as well. He doesn't want you to feel like you have to handle this all on your own," Winry tried so desperately hard to explain. Her azure orbs searched his, flicking back and forth between his golden ones. She could see tear beads clinging to his lashes like fresh morning dew. "So please, stop torturing yourself, Edward. You've been through enough," the mechanic pleaded.

Edward sighed and closed his eyes, causing the unshed tears in his eyes to travel down his cheeks and onto Winry's hands still cupping his face. He growled and stepped back from her brushing them away furiously. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try...I'll try and rid myself from the ghosts of my past. I need to do it for Al," he told her, straightening his shoulders. Winry watched him as he lingered for another moment in front of what used to be his home and then turned on his heal. He reached out and wrapped his index and middle finger around Winry's. The two began to make their way down the hill. Edward stopped, gazing over his shoulder with a fiercely determined look on his face.

"Come on Ed," Winry stated, tugging at his fingers that were still locked with hers. "Leave it behind. Don't spend your days here drowning in your past," she told him tenderly. "Let's go home. I'll make us a cup of hot cocoa."

"Yeah, you're right," he agreed once more. With a nod of his golden head, Edward turned around, his hand still clasped with Winry. "Let's go home."

The two turned their backs to the shadows of the devastation that had taken place so many years ago. "I'm lucky I have you...to help me through this crap, Winry," the alchemist told her in a quiet voice as they headed back towards the Rockbell home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rush Valley Street Brawl**

I really really and I mean _really_ hate coming to Rush Valley. Why, you ask? Oh there are plenty of reasons as to why I hate coming to this place. For example, the moment I step foot into the street, I literally get bowled down by crazy mechanics with stars twinkling in the eyes, holding Lord only knows what kind of tools in between their fingers and asking me if they can take a peek under my plate! I mean what the hell! More than one time I've ended up standing in the middle of the street in this city in my DAMN UNDERWEAR! Yeah! That's right! These psycho machine freaks strip me down to nothing but my boxers IN PUBLIC! Now c'mon! I'm a freaking State Alchemist, the Fullmetal Alchemist to be exact. People actually have the nerve to approach me and start poking my automail with wrenches and screwdrivers until Winry comes to my rescue, but that machine geek usually lets them crowd all over me and study her work until she's had her fill of being praised. That damned Winry.

Yeah yeah, I know I have the best automail mechanic in the world people, but sheesh! She makes automail for more than just me! Why the hell constantly study mine when you can just as easily go and look at somebody else's right? That's when I remember that Winry told me she always puts her hardest work into my automail. Mine was always built special and custom. None of her other customers has automail like mine. It's nice and it makes me feel good, so I guess coming to Rush Valley sometimes isn't all bad. Though I still hate coming here somtimes. You know what's even worse? Yes, there is something even _worse_ than having my limbs poked in prodded like I'm in a freaking hospital having a physical. What's worse is all the creepy, giggling teen girls who crowd around me! What the hell!? Haven't they ever seen a guy with automail limbs before? I mean for goodness sake! Their googly eyes totally give me the creeps.It makes me shudder just thinking about it.

Well, we're here. Al and I have stepped off the train, and now that we're here and getting closer to the busy streets, I'm trying to hide behind his giant armored body with my coat pulled up over my head in hopes that nobody recognizes me. I didn't wear my red one this time, hah! Normally that coat makes me stick out entirely too much, so maybe this time people won't know it's me! Yeah! I wore a black coat and it's dressy no doubt! Try and find Edward Elric now you machine junkie bastards! As Al and I walk closer and closer to Garfiel's shop, there's a massive cloud of dust visably just ahead, extremely loud voices as though a cheering crowd was filling the streets of Rush Valley. I can't help but allow my curiosity get the better of me, and so Al and I hurry down a street that should be full of people, towards the source of the sound of the yelling crowd; that's when I distinctly hear her voice amidst all the others.

All apprehension about being back in this town totally drains from me and I have no idea what's going on; all I know is that I can hear something that sounds like fear mixed with anger in her voice and instantly leap out from behind Alphonse. Instincts kicking in, I make a mad dash around my brother and sprint towards her voice. I approach the cloud of dust and push past screaming people, shoving them out of my way. My eyes come to rest on something I didn't ever in a million years expect to see here of all places. There's a giant street fight going on, right in the middle of Rush Valley. I count at least eleven or twelve different heads fighting like cats and dogs, but I'm searching desperately for that blonde one who's voice would match. I find it and breathe a sigh of relief to see she's okay, but those damned protective instincts of mine jump in again. I make my way towards her.

Winry is in between two men really big built men, her hands on each other their chests and trying to stop them from completely pummeling each other. "KNOCK IT OFF!" she cries out, staring both of them down with her sky-blue eyes. They held a firm hardness in them, a determination and longing for the fight to end. "JUST BECAUSE YOU LOST A CUSTOMER TO SOMEONE ELSE DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO START A MASSIVE FIGHT OVER IT! YOU'RE EVEN GETTING YOUR FRIENDS HURT BECAUSE OF IT TOO!" She's desperately trying to make them understand, but they're big, idiot trolls who seem to not want to listen to her. Damn them...

"Get outta the way girl," the bigger of the men she's trying to hold back tells her in a gruff, loud voice. He places a massive hand on the front of her shoulder and shoves her back. Winry lets out a little surprised yelp as she begans to lose her footing and fall backward.

I hurry and run forward before she can hit the ground and catch her in my arms. No way in _hell_ was this fight going to injure Winry if _I _have anything to say about it. The moment she lands on me, I can feel a blush rising to my face and a few sweat drops on my forehead.

"Edward!?" Winry cries out in surprise, as she gazes up at me, those blue eyes seeing right into me. I swear it's like that every single time she lays eyes on me. I haven't decided if I like it or not, but sometimes I find myself wishing to see those blue eyes when I'm at the HQ or feeling particularly lonely.

"What are you doing out in this, idiot!" I find myself snapping at her, and then I have to resist the urge to do a major facepalm. That's my problem. I never think before I speak and so I mentally kick myself, knowing I'll recieve proper punishment with a wrench embedded in my skull later.

"There was a huge...street fight...as you're...obviously...aware," Winry tells me, ignoring my insult. She's really out of breath. "I was just...trying to...break it up."

"Well, don't you know you could get yourself hurt, Winry!?" exclaims my little brother's voice from behind me.

Winry wrenches herself from my hold and turns around to face me, fists firmly planted on her hips. I can't help but notice how incredibly sexy she looks standing there. She has a black tank top on with her usual coveralls pulled down around her waist, revealing her stomach. She's wearing a bandanna tied around her head to keep her hair pulled back and I also notice she's still wearing the earrings I bought her. I can't help but let myself feel good about that, even though the earrings were bought for a bribe. I'll have to make a mental note for myself to buy her earrings on impulse instead of a bribe for breaking my automail. Though I can't tell you how many times she didn't break my head because of buying earrings for her. Damn what the hell is wrong with me! I shouldn't be thinking about her at a time like this!

"I'm NOT going to get hurt, you idiots!" she snaps, glaring at me with those big blue eyes lit like a roaring bonfire.

I can't help but feel myself back up a few steps, eyes looking at her hands to make sure she wasn't clutching anything metal, silver and hard in them. To my great relief she wasn't. I was just about to say something else to her when two of the brawlers were moving towards us from the fight. The person's arm was stretched out and hand still in a fist, ready to hit his oppenent who'd lept out of the way. I tried to grab Winry to move her out of the danger zone, but everything happened so fast. Before I even had time to grab her, his fist made impact with Winry's jaw. She went flying backward and landed on her back on the ground, skidding as she went. It was like watching everything in slow motion. The moment I saw her be hit and fall back, that was when the rage boiled up in my body like a volcanic erruption and exploded from the top of my head. My face was burning as my temper rose.

"YOU BASTARD!" I find myself screaming as I clap my hands and transmute about five or six different fists of stone, sending every single one of those freaking brawlers soaring through the air like the pathetic assholes they are. The only one that didn't get sent in the air was the one who's shirt I had just grabbed in my right fist, the bastard that hit Winry. I was ready for it and rounded on him like the scum he was. It took me everything I had not to mash his jaw into a pile of mush.

"HOW DARE YOU HIT WINRY! ARE YOU GUYS THAT JEALOUS OF EACH OTHER OVER CUSTOMERS THAT YOU'D FIGHT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF FREAKIN' RUSH VALLEY! DON'T YOU REALIZE THERE ARE PEDESTRIANS EVERYWHERE!? SOMEBODY ELSE COULD HAVE GOTTEN HURT BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU BASTARDS DON'T CARE, DO YOU!? DON'T YOU REALIZE YOUR FIST JUST MADE CONTACT WITH _MY_ GIRL'S FACE!?"

I ignored the babbling apology this prick was trying to say, and ignored all the groans from the surrounding idiots. I was losing it like a floodgate was losing water. My mind was absolutely spinning out of control. I couldn't even stop myself to think of what I was saying and I didn't really realize what I'd _been _saying. All I know is that I was _pissed_. I was pissed at the fact that a huge fight had to be started in the middle of the street and furthermore, I was pissed that Winry was hurt because of this. I had the man who hit Winry by the shirt and was holding him above my head, despite the fact that he was taller than me...I was on a whole other level compared to this asshole.

"Edward, let him down, you'll choke him!" Alphonse's voice resounded through the air, and that's when I realized the sounds the crowd was making had died down.

Everybody was just staring in shock. I snarled and looked over to see Al holding Winry up by the shoulders. She was cradeling her cheek and shaking something terrible which sent me into even more rage. I turned towards the man I was currently still holding hostage in my metal fist and slammed him down on the ground. I put my foot on his chest and knelt down decently close to his face. I didn't want this man to miss a word of what I was going to say.

"If you _ever_ and I mean EVER lay a hand on Winry again, I swear she'll be the last person you lay a hand on because I will _personally_ rip both of your arms off and see to it that you get NO automail anywhere, EVER. Do you got that?" I growled. I was clenching my teeth, trying hard to suppress the complete and utter animosity I was feeling towards these mechanic jackasses. I just watched the guy nod nervously at me before I let him up so he could scamper off like the pansy-ass he was. Seething, I turned towards where Winry and Alphonse where. The crowd was breaking up now and the rest of the bastards that had been fighting were struggling to get up, still trying to move from my fists of stone. I couldn't help but grin smugly at them. Those dumb asses got what they deserved.

I walked over to where Winry was still sitting, cupping her cheek with her hands. I stared down at her for a moment, knowing that if I didn't control myself I was going to end up completely blowing up at her. I was actually really close to yelling at her when she looked up at me, blue eyes filled with tears and a rapidly, bright red mark growing on her cheek. I couldn't help but sigh and feel sympathy for her. I reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to her feet. "C'mon, that looks pretty bad," I told her, trying to keep myself calm. The last thing I wanted to do was lash out at her.

"I'm fine, Edward. Just leave me-," she began, but I cut off her protests. I wasn't about to hear this shit from her.

"Winry, I've been hit in the face more times than I can even count," I told her, trying hard not to snap. "I _think _I know what I'm doing. Just c'mon," I urged her, placing a hand on top of her head, just like I always did. However, only seconds later I found myself slipping an arm around her shoulders. My heart had this odd sort of leaping thing and had a tingly sensation in it, something I'd been experiencing for awhile now whenever I got near her. "That does look like it hurts."

"I have to admit, I certainly didn't expect it," she told me. I looked over and sighed. My temper was lowering now as more pity for her took over. I didn't like to see her in pain. We needed to get her back to Garfiel's shop. I carted her along, keeping my arm comfortably around her shoulders and felt her lean into me, that one hand still cupping her cheek. I happened to turn my eyes down towards her and seen tears on her face. Instantly my heart started pounding. I hate seeing her cry.

"Winry, what's wrong? Does it hurt that much?" I ask her, trying not to sound too upset. I didn't want her to think I was angry that she was crying. I never got angry when she cried. It's embarrassing even to admit this to myself, but it actually _hurts_ me to see her cry.

"Edward! I'm going to look like a _freak_!" I hear Winry cry out shrilly, burying her face in both hands and leaning more into me as though to hide herself from the world. "I'm going to have this giant bruise on my cheek and it'll probably be swollen out to the size of a baseball! I can't go to work looking like this!"

What!? _That's_ what was she was crying about! How she'll _look_!? She should be more worried about if her jaw was broken or not. I wasn't sure what to say, so I just kept my arm around her and let her cry. I really don't understand women sometimes. We finally made it back to Garfiel's, who naturally was having his toenails painted cherry red. The moment we walked in and he saw Winry crying, cuppng her face and my arm around her, he freaked out. This was typical Garfiel and I had to refrain from rolling my eyes. As he made to get up from where he sat, Winry just waved a hand at him and told him she was fine and that I was taking care of her, much to my relief.

We go to the icebox while she drops down in a chair, and I get some ice out for her. I grab a plastic baggy and place the ice inside, tying the top of it in a knot. "Here," I say, kneeling down in front of her, placing it against her cheek and holding it there for her. She closes her eyes with a sigh, both arms limp at her sides. "This will make it so it doesn't swell," I tell her as nicely as I possibly can. "You'll probably have a bruise there for awhile. That guy did get you pretty good."

"Yeah, well he's lucky I didn't have a wrench in my hands," I hear her threaten and can't help but smile, as the metal image of her beating somebody else up with a wrench pops in my head. I'm broken from the picture of lovliness as she speaks up again. "Hey Ed, thanks for helping me out there and...well, taking care of those morons," she tells me. I happen to see she's blushing, but hell so am I.

"It's no problem. Besides that, even with a bruised cheek you're...still...c-cute," I tell her, mumbling, sweatdropping and rubbing the back of my head nervously. She just smiles at me and I realize she places her hand over mine, the one that's holding the ice on her cheek. What can I say? Nobody hurts my Winry.


	6. Chapter 6

**Red-Painted Toenails**

Tourists, passerby, mechanics and customers filled Main Street of Rush Valley. It was a sun-filled, hot, vibrant day in July and Edward had stopped by Garfiel's place for an automail check-up from his mechanic. Winry had been in the process of a writing out new ideas and diagrams to create automail for Edward that wouldn't get too hot in the summertime when he just popped by unannounced, telling her that something felt stiff in his arm.

Naturally, he was nearly beaten senseless with her wrench which caused some of her regular customers to scold the alchemist, telling him that he should have had the common courtesy to call first. Now, Edward was currently laying on her table, wearing nothing but his boxers, and she'd just finished the maintenance on his arm. The source of the problem had been a slightly tangled wire. The mechanic then went through and checked the rest of the wires, replaced a few screws, and put on a shiny new hood as the other one was nearly cracked no doubt from battles and fighting. After that she went straight down to his left leg to continue working and make sure that nothing was wrong there either.

However, Edward seemed a bit more restless and high-strung than usual, and it wasn't from the normal wrench-bashing assault he'd received earlier. Winry couldn't figure out the problem and truth be told, it was beginning to get a_tad _annoying, even moreso than the silence that had been accompanying the two since he had laid down on the bench. The alchemist had barely been able to speak a word to her, and the automail tech had no clue as to why. Winry couldn't help but vaguely wonder if something was wrong with him. Then again, she'd seen Edward upset on numerous occasions, so she knew he wasn't angry or distressed about anything. _Clink! Crank! Kreeek! Twist..._resounded through the room from Winry's tools and the automail when the blond squirmed again.

"Damn it Edward, would you stop fidgeting so much!" Winry snapped, removing her screwdriver from the inside plate of his left leg.

He still continued to lay sprawled out across the table just as he normally had whenever Winry had to do any type of repairing or maintenance on his mechanical limbs. His left, flesh arm rested over his bare stomach as usual with his right, automail arm stretched out across the extending arm rest to which Winry used at her own convenience when working on customers. Yet, the automail engineer couldn't help but notice that his legs were spread a little more than usual. Her azure irises wandered upward to study the band of his boxers settled just below his hip bones, revealing every inch of the tan, toned flesh. They slowly moved downward to the bulge in his pants for a split second before snapping back down to his leg once more. The mechanic found herself gritting her teeth nervously, hoping that he hadn't caught her peeking.

"You're really distracting me here. I don't want to screw this up, so please hold still!" she insisted, placing a hand firmly down on his leg practically planting it to the table.

Though now it wasn't really the fidgeting that was distracting her so much. Winry had to fight and suppress the urge to climb on top of him and run her hands down his toned abdomen. She couldn't be thinking about things at a time like this. Too much work needed to get done. Edward just glared down at her before moving again. Exasperated, Winry dropped her wrench down into the metal toolbox that sat on the floor beside her with a _clatter_ and stood up from the seat she was sitting in, placing her hands firmly on her hips.

"Alright, just what on earth is your problem today, Edward!? You're so fidgety and if you keep moving around like you are I'm going to mess up the maintenance! I don't want to hurt you! Does your back itch or something? Jeeze!" The girl wiped a hand across her forehead, underneath the black bandanna she wore around her head to keep her hair pulled back and out of the way when working.

Edward groaned and pierced his golden gaze into Winry's icy blue one. "Winry," the blond began, his voice sounding almost like a whine. He reached out and grabbed the girl's wrist tugging it gently.

"Edward wha-," Winry began, slightly surprised when she felt him pull even harder and soon she landed right on top of him in a confused heap. "_What_ are you doing!?" she shrieked, a blush sprinkling across her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Winry, but-," he began again, that same whine in his voice.

"Oh please tell me that's _not_ why you've been fidgeting this whole time!?" Winry inquired, shaking her light blonde head disbelievingly. He was just as turned on as she was right now, but it wasn't the time or place for this. "I'm at_work, _Edward! Other customers are going to be coming in later and they need maintenance done on their automail too! Plus I have some schematics I really need to settle down on! I told you I wanted to build you a new arm and leg that would be heat resistant! I _don't_ have time for this today!"

"But why? It's not like there's no lock on your door, and besides it's shut," the alchemist pointed out with a sly grin on his face. He lifted his arms up from the bench and wrapped them tightly around the mechanic's waist. "C'mon, Win, it's been awhile now. We haven't had any fun in your work room yet and it needs broken in. Pleeease!" the braided blond pleaded, staring up at her shimmering, golden orbs. "We don't have to tell anybody."

Winry tried to look away, knowing that he was giving her 'the look' and whenever he used 'the look' he usually always got what he wanted. Winry made a mental note to herself to learn and overcome that damned face of his. Every single time he used it, it made the mechanic go positively weak at the knees, so if she'd been standing, she probably would have melted in a puddle of mushy goo.

"Edward, not right now! I need to finish your leg anyway!" Winry protested, trying to shove herself off of him, but the alchemist remained unyielding, and his arms stayed firmly clamped around her thin, curvy body.

He wasn't about to let go of her waist and her tools were out of her reach, so he was in no immediate danger. Winry was at Edward Elric's mercy now. His eyebrows were drawn down in a conceited, almost seductive manner, and his golden orbs told her she wasn't going anywhere. The blond alchemist heaved himself up off of the bench, still keeping his arms wrapped firmly around the mechanic's waist. He started at the base of her neck, just below her earlobe, one of the most erogenous places on Winry's body and began running a tender trail of warm, wet kisses down the side of her neck. Edward stopped at her collarbone, nipping gently and looking up at her with the same face. Winry moaned as her eyes met his and she let her head fall backward as she closed her blue eyes, enjoying the feeling of his tender, kisses on her skin.

"Ed, I really _really_need to get back to...work," the girl insisted. "I have- ooooooh my...," she tried to say, but was cut off as she felt the alchemist run his automail hand up her leg and close to her hidden womanhood, teasing her with hard fingertips. The blond stopped just at the growing heat between her legs and used two fingers to press down firmly, searching for her bud through her clothes. Winry pushed herself against his touch, moaning with non-diminishing pleasure.

"See now?" Edward told her as Winry lifted her legs obediently to straddle him and settle herself comfortably into the crest of his naked hips. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist.

Winry moaned as she felt the alchemist's concealed erection pressing against her throbbing femaleness. "Alright, alright you win! Work can wait for now... We can make this quick can't we? I mean we can't go all afternoon," Winry told him.

"No, we won't go all afternoon. I know you're busy and there's a few things I have to do this afternoon for the Colonel Bastard," Edward told her, reaching his hand up to the zipper on Winry's top and slowly bringing it down to reveal tan, taut breasts concealed in a black, silk bra. He cupped one breast in his flesh hand, slowly massaging it, enjoying the sensation of Winry pressing herself into his rapidly growing center.

"Alright then, I suppose I don't see any harm in breaking in my workstation," the mechanic agreed, shoving herself down on the alchemist's hardness and grinding against it.

Edward groaned and buried his face into her shoulder, nipping lightly at her collarbone. Winry sat upright, straddling her lover and reached for his face. She tenderly cupped his cheeks in her hands and captured his warm, wet lips in between her own. She prodded at his mouth with her tongue, asking for entrance to which the alchemist obliged. She massaged the appendage gently with her own and squirmed against him, whimpering into his mouth as Edward thrust his erection against her enshrouded womanhood. Winry felt her black, zip up top fall off of her back and one metallic hand pull down the cup of her bra. Winry whimpered again as she felt his warm lips place themselves firmly around her nipple, sucking gently at the hardening lumps. He used his other hand to snake down the front of her lavender coveralls, searching for her throbbing lady nub. Within moments he found it, lightly pressing his fingertips against it, causing the mechanic to cry out.

Winry had always been the type to vocalize her pleasure. They were always that way whenever the two would bed down either here in Rush Valley where Winry was staying or if they were back in Central, staying at a hotel. The people around the area thought nothing of it, considering automail attachment was painful and customers usually always cried out. The sounds of screaming from a work room were nothing foreign to the automail engineers of Rush Valley, so Winry's cries made no difference and neither did Edward's. The two were really beginning to get into their foreplay; Edward had just unsnapped the back of Winry's bra when the unexpected happened. There was a loud, booming knock at the door followed by an excited voice.

"WINRY-CHAN! WINRY-CHAN! I SIMPLY _MUST_ SHOW YOU THIS!" came Garfiel's lisping voice from the other side of the door.

Before the mechanic even had time to grab her shirt that still lay on the floor and snap her bra back to hide her breasts, the door burst open and in toddled Garfiel, walking on his heels with Paninya accompanying him. She was clutching a bottle of nail polish in her hand with a wide grin on her face which turned to a look of complete and utter horror the moment they stepped foot into Winry's workroom.

"OH WINRY-CHAN! PANINYA JUST FOUND THE MOST ABSOLUTE BEAUTIFUL SHADE OF RED NAIL POLISH...and...I-," his voice trailed off as his eyes came to rest on the scene before him. Everything happened so fast, it didn't give anyone time to hardly register things in the brain, only a very intimate moment between the state alchemist and his automail tech.

Winry had leaped off of Edward like a bullet, dashing around the floor of her work room, looking for her top and desperately trying to hide her breasts, considering the bra was threatening to fall off at any given moment. Edward was so shocked and taken by surprise at the intrusion that he fell right off of the work bench was a loud crash, right into Winry's toolbox, scattering tools, bolts, screws and wires all over the place. He was sitting on his haunches, hands placed firmly behind him and trying to keep his legs closed to hide what could be seen.

"Well well well, what on _earth_ was going on in here little missy and mister fullmetal boy?" Garfiel questioned, his cheeks rosy and eyes squinty with glee.

"N-n-n-n-n-NOTHING!" Edward insisted, grabbing the thin blanket that hung off of the edge of the work bench and wrapping it around his waist to try and hide his quickly fading erection from view. "W-w-w-w-we were just doing the automail maintenance on my leg!" he tried to explain, in a voice higher than his own normally was. "And-and-and, I-I-I-I, I lost my balance on the table! I grabbed Winry's shirt by accident so I wouldn't fall and it just came off! That's why she's not wearing one!"

Edward's face could have passed for a lobster as red as it was, and Winry had managed to find her shirt and hide in a corner from the shame and embarrassment that had literally settled over her the moment it happened. She heard Paninya stifle a snicker and Garfiel just clucked his tongue.

"Yes, well _whatever,_you too. I'll just have to remember that the next time I want to show off my newly red-painted toenails and your door is shut, I'll knock first and wait for your answer so I don't..._disturb_ anything," he added with a wink before turning around gracefully on his heel and teetering back out of the room. A guffawing Paninya followed him out of the room, leaving a thoroughly bewildered and humiliated alchemist and mechanic sitting on the floor, faces as crimson as beets.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys! Just a quick author's note. In this one, this is currently taking place sometime later after the manga. Ed and Winry are already married as are Roy and Riza Hope you enjoy this!

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**Winter Baby**

Glass was heard breaking from the kitchen, followed by a loud whimper from a very pregnant blonde. She grasped her swollen tummy and was instantly on her knees, her fingers clutching the counter so hard that her knuckles had turned white. Edward, Alphonse, Riza and Roy had her cries in the kitchen and the Fullmetal Alchemist had jumped swiftly to his feet, dashing across the living room and into the kitchen. There was Winry, crumpled on the floor and clutching her arms around her enlarged belly.

"Winry!?" Edward exclaimed, rushing to the young woman's side. "What is it!? Are you alright!? Is the baby alright!?"

"E-Ed...I think that, it's...time," Winry panted as the blond helped her to her feet.

"Wha-wha-WHAT!? TIME! B-B-BUT THE DOCTOR SAID NOT UNTIL NEXT WEEK!" Edward cried out in disbelief, slapping his flesh hand to his forehead. "Please Winry, tell me you're joking, you've got to be joking! It's not supposed to come out UNTIL NEXT WEEK!" he stated, emphasizing the final three words.

"WELL WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO!? HOLD IT IN, EDWARD!?" Winry lashed out before crying out in pain once more. Her distinct cries made it bluntly obvious on what was happening. Her shrieks were followed by a massive amount of water hitting the floor underneath her and before long, Edward and Riza were helping Winry into one of the downstairs bedrooms, leaving a horror-struck Edward behind.

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Many hours later, the snow was coming down outside like a torrent of cotton. If you peered out of the window you could barely even see the snow-covered trees lined up in the distance. It had been a very long time since Resembool had seen such a heavy, snow-coated winter. The snowflakes were thick, the wind was strong and snow was blowing up in almost tornadic swirls. Drifts had made their merry way up against the sides of the yellow Rockbell home and thick snow had covered the porch. Nobody dared venture out in a mess like this; except for maybe Colonel Roy Mustang.

Inside of the house, the fire crackled harmoniously in the fireplace, casting a warm orange glow around the room. A very sweaty and nervous Edward was pacing back and forth across the wooden planks of the kitchen floor. He stopped every once in awhile to wring his hands restlessly and stare at the door before turning back around to commence pacing. The fact of the matter was, was that he was a complete and utter basket case.

"Brother, calm down," came Alphonse's soothing voice as he placed a hand on the older Elric's shoulder. "You're going to wear tracks into the floor if you keep walking like that."

"I can't help it...Al, this is so...s-s-so-," Edward paused in his words as a blood curdling shriek resounded from the room across the kitchen, followed by soothing, muffled words from Riza who was currently in there helping and coaching Winry. She'd given birth to her own children now with Roy, so she was better suited than either of the Elrics. "Dammit! Winry's in there!" he cried out, pointing a finger straight towards the door. "She's in labor with our baby! There's a fucking blizzard outside and I can't do a DAMN thing about it! Even alchemy won't help! What the hell good am I!?" the blond stated, trepidation and fear could be heard in his tones. He whirled around to slam his fists down onto the counter, rattling the coffee pot and toaster. He lowered his head, teeth bared and long, golden bangs shielded his eyes from view. "This is...this is almost like the time in Rush Valley when Winry delivered that baby by herself six years ago. So why the hell is it so hard now! And where the HELL is Mustang! He should have been back by now!" the alchemist snarled.

"Brother, you have got to remain calm. Winry will be fine. She's strong and Riza's in there helping her and coaching her now. You should really try and go in there and be with her. She needs you right now, Ed," the younger Elric tried to soothe his brother. He grabbed the golden-haired man's shoulders and carted the trembling man towards the table. Alphonse pulled back a chair and shoved his nerve-wracked brother down into it. "C'mon, just relax, I'm going to make you a cup of fresh coffee."

"Al, I...I can't go in there. I won't be able to handle seeing Winry in pain like that. I don't want to even imagine what she her face looks like right now. I don't want to see-," his voice trailed off as he fell forward against the table, pressing his forehead firmly down on the cool, oak wood. His long, golden ponytail fell over his shoulder. He didn't want to see his wife's face contorted with agony, then again she was going to be giving birth to their baby any moment now. "But she needs me in there, doesn't she?" he grumbled into the wood.

Edward felt the coffee cup being sat next to him, and he heard the scraping of Alphonse's chair next to his as the younger Elric seated himself. "Yes, she does need you in there. Why don't you at least go in and check on her and see how things are going? If Roy gets back, I'll let him know where you're at. Hopefully he was able to at least get into town and get the doctor," the younger Elric stated with slight apprehension. He stood up and walked over to the window, drawing back the curtain to peer outside. It was like a winter hellstorm out there. Edward raised his golden head from the table to stare out of the window and noticed the storm, ignoring the steaming coffee mug beside him. A strong sensation of worry crept up his spine, knowing Roy was out there in it. The alchemist hoped he was alright.

Edward huffed and stood up harshly from the seat he'd been in, shoving back the chair a little rough. "Alright! I'm going to go in there to see how she's doing," he remarked confidently.

The fact of the matter was, was that the Fullmetal Alchemist did _not_currently feel brave about this at all. It was one of the few things that could literally make him want to run away, but that was his _wife _in there. Soon his baby would be born. He needed to be a good husband and go see her. The older Elric cleared his throat and crossed the room, heading towards where the room that was currently housing Winry and Riza. He stopped before it, took a deep breath and knocked on it with his automail hand.

"Who is it!?" called Riza's voice from the other side.

"It's me," Edward replied back. "Can I come in and see Winry?"

"Sure you can, Ed," came the younger blonde's tired voice from inside the room.

The sound of her speaking made his heart jump into his throat. He slowly opened the door and peered inside at the sight before him. Winry was laying in bed, the blankets pulled up around her inflated tummy. Her hair was tied back in a long ponytail and her face was covered in sweat. Riza was at her bedside with a bowl of water and a washcloth, wiping down the mechanic's face with it. Small, light-blonde strands of hair clung to her forehead and cheeks. She gave him a worn-out smile and beckoned him inside. Edward obliged and stepped inside of the room, closing the door behind him. He walked across the bedroom and pulled up a chair on the other side of the bed. He took one of Winry's sweaty hands in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"You doing okay in here?" he asked, staring down at her face that was marred with exhaustion.

"Yeah, I just wish...that it'd hurry up and get out of me," she told him, fatigue could be heard in her voice. "I'm ready for this to be over."

Edward felt his heart clench painfully in his chest. Winry looked like she could pass out at any given moment. He couldn't remember any other time the mechanic had looked so weakened, so vulnerable and so narcoleptic. "I'll stay in here with her for awhile Riza, if you'd like a break. Mustang still hasn't gotten back yet," he added as the older blonde nodded her head gratefully at him.

"I won't be long, Winry," the Lieutenant told her, squeezing the younger woman's arm gently. "I'm going to grab a cup of coffee and I'll be right back." Edward hadn't mistaken the worry that had flashed through Riza's crimson orbs, but didn't say anything. The last thing they wanted to do was upset Winry.

"Roy still isn't back yet?" she inquired, tilting her head on the pillow to look at her husband and he felt an ache of sympathy for her course through him. It almost seemed as if her head were too heavy to lift.

"No, but I'm sure he'll be back anytime now. You just take it easy. I'm right here with you," the alchemist told her soothingly, rubbing her face down with a washcloth.

Winry smiled gratefully to him before her face went into distorted agony. Her small hands gripped the white sheets underneath her and she threw her head back, letting out another painful scream. Edward didn't know what to do. His face went white, his stomach turned and everything around him seemed to be spinning. He lept up from the chair and backed up against the wall, not sure what to do or say to the blonde to help comfort her.

"EDWARD IT HURTS!" Winry cried out, tears seeping down the sides of her beautiful face. Her blue eyes were squeezed shut, and her teeth clenched together tightly.

"I-I-I I don't...I don't know what to do!" the alchemist cried out helplessly.

He knew it was evidently upsetting Winry that he'd ran away from her to stand on the other side of the room, not wanting to witness anything like this, but for the first time the alchemist didn't know what he could do to help her or take her pain away. It was killing him to see her suffer from the affliction of childbirth. Winry continued to cry out and Edward had to fight the urge to scream with her. As if on cue, Riza burst through the room and rushed to the writhing automail tech's side, calming her with hushed tones and grasping her hand in her own. The alchemist took this opportunity to bolt out of the room. No way in hell would he be able to handle something like this.

"Brother! Brother, what's wrong!?" Alphonse questioned, rushing to his brother and grasping him on the cuffs of his arms. "Is Winry alright!? Brother...are you alright?"

Edward's face was completely pallid and he looked like he could faint at any moment. Alphonse hurriedly sat his brother in a chair and sat down next to him, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. "It's okay, Ed. You did your best. You tried. The important thing is, is that you were able to at least go in there and see her."

"A-Al...what am I supposed to do? I feel so helpless. I wanted to be in there and see my baby be born, but if I can't even handle a simple freaking contraction, then how will I be able to witness the birth of my daughter or son?" he spoke quietly, golden orbs averted down to his hands. Dread suddenly filled the alchemist as he stared at the tabletop. "Or worse...what if...what if something happens to Winry or the baby? We don't have a proper doctor here."

"Ed, you're letting your thoughts run away with you. You can't be thinking of things like this. Plenty of women have given birth without a doctor there. Winry has a little medical training just like her parents did and Riza has had two kids with the Colonel. I'm sure she's helping Riza right along, even though she's the one in labor," the younger Elric pointed out. "Remember, Winry delivered a baby in Rush Valley once before. Everything will be fine."

Another shrill, agonizing scream came from Winry's room and that's when Edward stood up. He dashed across the kitchen, grabbed his coat, threw it on and shoved his feet into his boots. "I can't take this, Al!"

He opened up the door to wet snow barreling into his face, and harsh, whipping winds hitting him. The alchemist didn't care though. He wanted to get as far away from this as possible. The icey cold cut through his coat, but he didn't even pay it any mind. Edward squinted his golden orbs, trying to see where he was, but nothing could be seen except thick sheets of swirling white. There was no sign of Mustang either. He hadn't stepped but about ten feet away from the house when he heard the door bang open from behind him.

"EDWARD YOU NEED TO GET BACK HERE NOW!" cried his younger brother from the doorway. "WINRY NEEDS YOU NOW!"

"I CAN'T, AL! I CAN'T SEE HER LIKE THIS! I CAN'T HANDLE HER SCREAMING! IT'S TOO MUCH!" Edward shot back, his long ponytail whipping in his face from the wind.

"BROTHER YOU ARE BEING SELFISH! WINRY IS HAVING THE BABY NOW! SHE IS GIVING BIRTH RIGHT NOW! GET BACK INSIDE OF THIS DAMN HOUSE AND HELP HER! WITNESS YOUR CHILD BEING BORN!" the younger Elric told him fiercely, glaring down from the porch at his older brother.

Something seemed to snap into place in the older Elric's mind and he brought a hand swiftly to his forehead. He trudged back through the snow as quickly as he could and ran up the porch steps, back into the house. _What the hell! What was I doing!? I was running away!? I'm such an IDIOT!_The blond tore off his coat, not bothering to hang it on the coat rack and sprinted across the kitchen, back into Winry's room. She was panting heavily, each breath coming more and more rapidly. Riza had spread out towels across the lining of the bed and all across the floor, and she was standing at the foot of Winry's bed. The mechanic's legs were spread, a sheet covering them. The older blonde woman breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the brothers come into the room. and she looked almost as tired as what the mechanic did.

"Edward, Alphonse, thank you. Edward, you get on one side of Winry and hold up one of her legs. Alphonse you on the other. We're gonna bring the baby out!" Riza demanded, pointing her finger sternly at Winry's legs.

Edward could feel his heart pounding unceremoniously in his chest, but nevertheless he approached the woman's side. She glared up at him through heaving breaths. "You...better...be...lucky...I...don't...have...a wrench...you bastard...," she threatened, craning her head backward and grasping the sheets once more. "I HATE YOU EDWARD ELRIC! YOU DID THIS TO ME YOU JACKASS! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" she screamed, a long, high-pitched wail following her words.

"It's alright, Ed! Don't let her upset you! Believe me, I said worse to Roy. It's just her hormones and pain talking! Just concentrate on holding her legs!" Riza insisted as she took her place at the front of Winry, pulling back the sheet to expose her. "Alright Winry, when I say push, I need you to give me a big, hard push, okay?" the Lieutenant told her, gloved hands held underneath her.

"I don't wanna do this! Edward, I'm scared!" the mechanic whimpered as tears streaked down the sides of her face.

"You can do it Win! You've never been scared of anything in your life! Don't you dare let something like giving birth to our baby scare you now! You _can_do this. I'm right here with you. I promise I won't go anywhere again," Ed told her, using his free hand to run it soothingly over her forehead. Winry just nodded, grunting what sounded like a 'kay' to him.

"Alright now, PUSH!" Riza urged firmly. Winry did as she was told, clenching her teeth, baring down with both of Elric brothers on either side of her, holding up her legs. She emanated a violent cry that scared the alchemist, but Edward didn't allow it to show. Now was the time to be here for his wife. She was giving birth to his child. This was something he couldn't run away from. All those years he spent with his brother, all of the things he'd seen, done, endured, nothing was frightening him as bad as this was.

"I can see the head! C'mon Winry, you're doing great! Keep going! Just one more push!" the Lieutenant coaxed.

"I can't!" Winry breathed, her upper body falling back against the pillows. "I can't push anymore!"

"Yes you can, Winry!" Alphonse encouraged her. "Just one more push is all you need!"

Edward reached his free hand behind his wife's back and placed it firmly there for support. "C'mon Win. Just one more push and our baby will be here," he told her tenderly. "You can do this. You're stronger than all of us in here. Don't give up on me now."

Winry obliged, lurched forward and pushed as hard as she possibly could, her mouth opened wide in an ear piercing scream. She stopped, released a heavy breath and fell backward on the bed once more. A gentle, whimpering cry filled the room as Riza reached downward to grab a bundle of fresh towels. She brought the little newborn baby up in her arms, swaddling it with fresh, warm, white-cotton cloths. The older woman walked towards Edward and Winry, cradling the little newborn bundle who was now emitting ear-piercing shrieks, it's tiny body writhing in her arms. Winry was laying back on the bed, her blue eyes wide and staring at the ceiling and chest heaving with gasps.

"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Elric. You have a baby girl," Riza told them with a smile. She walked over to Edward and lay the wiggling, wailing bundle in his outstretched arms.

"A-a...a daughter. Win, we have a...a baby girl," he breathed, moving to sit beside his wife in the chair. "She's so...so beautiful."

"Oh Edward," Winry sighed, pushing herself up with what little strength she had left to gently run her fingertips down her newborn daughter's face. "She really is beautiful." The baby girl opened up her eyes and blinked a few times, her crying jags slowing. Great golden eyes stared upward as she flicked them back and forth between her mother and her father.

The alchemist felt elation rising in his chest followed by a heavy string of emotion course through him. He bit his bottom lip as he fought back tears of mirth that threatened him and looked down at their newborn baby girl. "She has your eyes," Winry told him, smiling happily, tears streaming down her face in twin streams. Riza and Alphonse had brought over extra towels to help wipe down the left over blood on the newborn girl, neither noticing that Roy had just entered the room completely windswept with the doctor at his heels.

After a brief checkup, the doctor announced that Winry was going to be fine and so was their daughter. He gently took the baby away for a few moments to check her vitals, while Riza collapsed into Roy's arms from exhaustion. Edward was seated next to Winry, his arms wrapped around her waist and Winry's arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Both of them were shaking and small sobs and sniffles could be heard coming from the twosome but nobody questioned it. They just allowed the couple to be to themselves and envelope in their moment of happy tears. The doctor finished the check up on their daughter and cleaned her up before bringing her back to the awaiting Elrics. He gently laid the little bundle, who was now swaddled up in a pink blanket, down in Winry's arms. She pulled back the blanket a bit from the the newborn's face and smiled.

"What should we call her?" Winry asked, gazing upward at her husband.

"Hmmm, you're the mommy. You should be the one to name her," Edward replied, running his flesh fingertips down his daughter's cheek. Her golden eyes widened in curiosity at her father and he couldn't help but laugh a bit. "She sure is wide awake."

"Yes, but I want you to name her, Edward. So please, go ahead. What should we call her?" Winry insisted, raising a free hand and trailing it down his face.

The alchemist looked thoughtful for awhile as he watched his daughter. Her tiny fists raised up from the inside of her blanket and she brought them up to her face, closing her eyes and yawning. There was a big 'awwwwwwwww' that sounded from behind from Alphonse, Roy and Riza. Edward just chuckled and shook his golden head slightly before looking back at his newborn daughter. "Trisha...Trisha Sarah Elric, after both of our moms."

"Trisha Sarah," Winry reiterated, running her hand softly over the blond, peach fuzz on the baby's head. "Trisha Sarah Elric it is."


	8. Chapter 8

**Tummy Kisses**

Month 1:

Edward awoke with a start, sitting up in bed and rubbing the crusted sleep that had gathered in his eyes sometime during the night. He reached his arms over to the other side of the bed, searching for her soft body so he could wrap himself around her. Being close to her, feeling her warmth, listening to her delicate breathing and gentle beating of her heart was enough to lull him back to sleep. The blond soon came to discover that it was empty. He reached over to the nightstand, grabbing his black tank top and pulled it over his head.

Instantly, his mind began wandering, and he found himself not so hazy anymore from sleep. Ed gazed over towards Winry's side of the bed at the alarm clock that read 4am. Why on earth would she be up at this hour? The earliest Winry ever got up was 6am, and that was only if there was a dire automail emergency at hand. Curious, Edward sat up in bed gazing around the bedroom when he heard it. Terrible retching sounds were coming from the bathroom just down the hallway and instantly lept to his feet. Edward rushed out of the room. _Pat-thump pat-thump pat-thump!_ His mismatched feet resounded on the wooden floor of the hallway. The blond found the bathroom door cracked open and Winry was leaning against the toilet, breathing heavily. He walked up to her and knelt down, pulling her long, blonde hair back out of the way. The mechanic retched again and he rubbed her back soothingly.

"Winry? Are you alright? Did you dinner not agree with you?" Edward questioned, running his automail fingertips soothingly down her pallid, sweating face.

"My stomach feels like it's doing flip flops and I feel really dizzy," the girl mumbled as she flushed the toilet and leaned against her husband. "I've been feeling kinda sick like this for awhile now every night, but nothing as bad as this though," she stated, drawing in a shaky breath.

"Well, do you think it's possible you have food poisoning?" the alchemist inquired, helping his wife to her feet. "We've got some stomach medicine downstairs that you use to help ease the nausea for automail patients. Do you want to try some of that?"

"Oh no, it's not food poisoning and I don't need any medicine," Winry told him, crossing over to the sink.

She grabbed a small, disposable cup, turned on the water and filled it to the brim. She poured the water into her mouth, swishing it around, trying to wash out the terrible, acrid after taste. Winry leaned over and spat it in the sink before repeating the action once more. She grabbed a hand towel from the rack and wiped her mouth off with it and threw it into a laundry basket that sat in the bathroom for the dirty towels. Once she was done with that, Winry turned back towards her husband, a small smile twitched the corners of her mouth.

"Well, what on earth has gotten you so sick? Are you coming down with something?" the alchemist questioned. His golden eyebrows were furrowed with worry and he placed his hand on the blonde's forehead. "Well, you're not running a fever."

"Just come back to the bedroom with me Edward, I'll be just fine. There's something I have to talk to you about," the mechanic told him, giving the blond a gentle tug on his hand.

Edward shrugged, still genuinely confused as to what exactly was going on, but nevertheless, followed Winry back into their bedroom. Winry lead him across the room and back over to the bed. She grabbed him by both shoulders, sat him down gently on the bedspread and followed suit. Winry turned herself to face the alchemist and gathered both of his hands into hers. "Ed, I wasn't really sure of it until just recently and I had been waiting and searching for the right time to tell you, but...I'm...ummm," she stammered, baby blue eyes staring at their hands. He could feel an apprehensive twitch from her hands and he squeezed them gently, still not understanding what was going on.

"Winry, you're what? You know you can tell me anything. I've told you everything now and you've told me. We don't keep secrets from each other anymore, remember?" the state alchemist pointed out, running his thumbs gently over the top of Winry's soft hands.

The automail tech took a deep breath and looked up at her husband. Her azure eyes were absolutely sparkling. "There's going to be a new little edition to the Elric family," she told him, mirth ringing in her tones.

"Oh really!? Oh! Do you mean to tell me that Al got somebody pregnant!?" Edward questioned incredulously. "That sneaky little-," he began, a snicker on his face when Winry shook her blonde head fervently.

"No, Edward. I'm trying to tell you that _I'm _pregnant!" she declared, grabbing her husband's hands and squeezing them harder than usual.

Edward's golden eyes widened like saucers. "WHA-you...preg- I mean...how!? HOW!? he asked, not daring to believe what he'd just heard come from the mechanic's mouth. He wrenched away his left hand and slapped himself in the forehead with it, planting his hand firmly in disbelief. "HOW IN THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN!?" he demanded, in a voice quite unlike his own. He could feel sweat drops on his face now and the pressure on his right hand from Winry's hold became a little stronger.

Winry cocked an eyebrow at him, and turned her head slightly with a playful grin on her face. "You _know _how it happened, Ed. The fact of the matter is, is that we're having a baby! You're going to be a daddy!" she squealed, her beautiful features positively glowing with elation. "And I'm going to be a mommy," she added dreamily.

"Wha...me, a-a-a daddy!? I'm gonna be a...daddy?" Edward inquired, shoving his thumb into his chest, his mouth gaping. "I gotta...tell Al...I gotta," he stood up, mumbling words incoherently to himself, his other hand still planted firmly to his forehead. As the alchemist rose, he teetered on his feet for a moment as though he were losing balance. Once he regained composure, Edward ran to the bedroom door, threw it open and began running down the hallway almost in a blind panic.

"AL! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!" he called out to his younger brother, coming closer to his room. "AAAAAAAAAAAAL! WAKE UP! WE'RE HAVING A BABY! I'M GONNA BE A DA-," he paused at the end of his sentence, not able to finish the last word as the realization slammed him from behind like a giant, invisible hand. Edward Elric went forward, landing flat out his face as Alphonse appeared out from behind his door, scratching his head, yawning and pointing to his passed-out brother.

A sly, know-it-all look crossed the younger Elric's face as he stared at a very surprised-looking Winry who was just behind Ed. "Yep, I told you Winry. Brother would faint. You owe me 10 bucks."

Month 2:

The first two months had been difficult for Edward and Winry. He delt with what he liked to call "night sickness" from her as opposed to morning sickness. The blonde had taken to getting up anywhere from 3-4 am in the morning with severe nausea and sometimes vomiting hitting her in waves. All he could do to comfort her was hold her hair back when needed, speak soothing words and rub her back. Afterwards he'd help her back to bed and rub her sweating face down with a cool, wet washcloth.

The daytime wasn't much better either. The alchemist found himself having to be careful about anything he might say that would upset or offend her. If she was getting angry and throwing whatever she could get her hands on at him, she was crying about something. Winry had always been a crier for as long as he could remember, even way back to their childhood, but nothing..._nothing _could have prepared him for this onslaught of constant mood changes. Sometimes she'd even just randomly burst into tears for no apparent reason and all he could do was hug her, comfort her and hold her until her crying spell wore down.

One day in particular the newlyweds could remember very well. Winry was upstairs in their bedroom, trying on a bunch of maternity clothes and that she and Riza had went and bought that day. The Lieutenant had taken the day off especially for her so she could take the expectant mother shopping. She'd also had a lot of clothes left over from her pregnancy that she'd happily given to the mechanic, and Winry had gratefully accepted them. Edward peeked around the bedroom door to see his wife standing in front of a mirror wearing a long-sleeved, light blue shirt. She had her head turned towards the mirror, a pillow underneath her shirt to give a slight indication of what she may look like in a few months from now. One hand was on her back as she leaned back a bit, the other was placed on her stomach as she studied her features in the mirror.

"Did you have a good time with Riza?" came her husband's voice from behind the door. He stood in the doorway grinning.

There was sniffling heard from Winry and her head dropped, long golden bangs shadowing her face from view. Curious to know what was wrong, Edward tilted his head slightly and crossed the room cautiously to make sure he wouldn't be hit with any flying wrenches, or alarm clocks, or even the full-length mirror. "Winry, what's wrong?" the alchemist asked her softly.

"Edward...will you still love me when I look like this?" the blonde asked, staring down at the pillow shoved underneath her shirt. "I mean, when I get all big and fat, will I still be as desirable to you?"

"Winry what on earth are you going on about?" Ed asked her, slightly shocked by his wife's words. He noticed that even with an extended belly, she was still as gorgeous as ever. "You look really beautiful in that color," he added with a smile. "Before you know it, our little one will be popping out and then you can start wearing all of your new clothes."

"But, I'm gonna get so big! What if you don't have enough room in the bed or something! Then I'll have to sleep a-all a-a-alone!" the mechanic wailed, crossing the room, flopping down into the bed and burying her face into her hands. "I'll be too big for you to even lay beside me!" She sobbed openly, tears leaking through her clenched fingers.

Edward sighed and followed his wife to the bed. He got down in his knees in front of her and pryed her hands away from her face. His golden eyes softened as they stared into her tear-filled, blue orbs. "Winry that's ridiculous. Don't you dare say a thing like that. Besides, you're not fat and you're not going to get fat. You're going to be carrying a life that we created together inside of you. You're still going to be beautiful no matter how big your tummy gets. Besides, we'll know that our baby is growing if you get a big tummy," he added with a smile.

"You really think so?" the mechanic sniffled, removing the pillow out from underneath the maternity top she was wearing. "No matter what, I'll still be attractive to you?"

"Of course you will," the alchemist insisted softly, bringing his hands to her face to wipe away her tears. "You'll make a wonderful mommy too," he added, slowly raising up the shirt to expose her flat tummy. He gently ran his fingertips down it before leaning in to give her stomach two tender kisses.

"What was that for?" Winry asked him, slightly surprised.

"Two kisses for our baby. Today you're two months pregnant. I marked it on the calendar," Edward added with a slight blush. "Every time we hit a new month, I'll give our baby that many kisses, so look at like this; the bigger the tummy the more tummy kisses you two get. Today you both get two because it's two months, and next month you both will get three because it'll be three months."

Winry leaned down and captured Edward's lips in her own, not really quite sure what to say. Those words had touched her beyond anything he'd ever said and Winry couldn't express the gratitude she felt towards him in words. She pulled back from her, trailing her fingertips down his cheek. "I'll be looking forward to the tummy kisses then," was all she could say, voice choked with emotion. Edward just smiled and took his wife in his arms. He didn't say it, but he looked forward to giving the tummy kisses too.

---------------------------------------------

author's note: I'm not sure what's gotten into me lately with the whole preggers Winry and Edward, but I thought it might be kinda fun to do another one :P this is just a silly, fun, random little drabble I thought up after writing Winter Baby yesterday. Hope you guys enjoy these just as much! I plan on having 2 or 3 months per drabble


	9. Chapter 9

author's note: This is my first songfic in this drabble series. While it's EdxWin, it's also hard to completely write about EdxWin with Edward being in Munich. However, I still wanted to add it to the drabble list! It's rather angsty because I'm having a hard time in my life right now, so writing and drawing helps. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others

**Home**

_I'm staring out into the night,_

_Trying to hide the pain._

He'd been taking a walk around the city for quite awhile; just something that always helped to clear his head. Edward wasn't sure how long he'd been gone nor did he really care for that matter. It was cold, but from all the years of traveling he'd done, this weather hardly phased him. In the year he'd been here, he'd done nothing but search for a ways to go back home. Ed had delved into the science of rocketry with his best friend, but it was to no avail. It had been a year since he was lost to this side of gate and Christmas was just around the corner. All Edward wanted was to go back home to his little brother Alphonse, and back to the woman he realized he was in love with only too late, Winry Rockbell. How he longed to find his way back to Granny Pinako, his teacher Izumi, back to that bastard General Mustang, Lieutenant Hawkeye, Major Armstrong and all of the other members of the military he'd grown so close to. He missed Amestris, he longed for _home._There was just no other word for it. A light snow was beginning to fall from the dark heavens as he made his way down the Munich outskirts. He had his gloved hands shoved deep into the pockets of his long, dark-hued coat which billowed out behind him with every step he took.

Edward stopped to admire the river that had iced over and watched the falling, crystal-like, white flakes begin to build a small blanket over the top of the sparkling, frozen water. The lights from the city across the water shone brightly on the river's glassy surface, giving an almost green-tinged hue. It was a beautiful sight, but the blond knew of even more beautiful sights he could be seeing right now. Ed would much rather see the snow falling on the green grounds of Resembool. The young scientist leaned up against the fence, resting his elbows gently on the rickety wood, stared out into the night and wondered what his little brother and Winry were doing at this time. They were most likely putting up the Christmas Tree, or having hot cocoa and snuggling in front of the fire like they'd done every year together when they were just carefree children. This was going to be his first Christmas without his little brother or Winry. He could feel a miserable ache raising in his chest, followed by a lump in his throat, which he tried to swallow back.

_I'm going to the place where love_

_And feeling good don't ever cost a thing._

_And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain._

Edward could imagine that if he were home right now, they'd all be sitting in front of the fire, wrapped up in a big fuzzy blanket with him in the center. All three of them would be clutching mugs of steaming, hot cocoa between their hands and laughing at miniscule things; Winry would probably be anxiously trying to fit him with proper automail to handle the cold weather, and Al would probably own a thousand cats, all climbing all over him and mewing while he teased them with ribbon used from wrapping presents. He could picture himself and Winry snuggled on the couch together, his arms wrapped tightly around her warm body while the younger Elric decorated the tree and Pinako would bring in trays of fresh eggnog. All of the years back home just seemed like such a distant memory now, and the holidays here were nothing but colorless and cold compared to how he'd spent his Christmases in the past. Those were the days he could remember he felt wonderful and it didn't hurt.

Well, it did. Sometimes it hurt too much. Especially the times going back to Resembool. Those were during the years searching for the Philosopher's Stone with Edward's little brother, but whenever they came back home to Resembool, that beautiful, warm and smiling face always was there to greet him. Her blue eyes would sparkle at his sight and he would feel his heart leap, but it would also clench painfully at the same time. It was always so hard to tell her that their stay wouldn't be long. This pain when he came back to her though was a different type of pain that he felt. It wasn't like the automail being reattached, which he hated to admit that he missed. It wasn't one of physical hurt from a battle nor was it sadness. It was a good type of the pain, the only type of pain that a normal human would want to feel in their lives. He never could understand it himself at that time. Of course he'd only been 15 years old, so it was hard to understand why Winry made him feel that way. However at the same time when it came time to leave, the hurt would change into a hurt he never wanted to feel. Trying to stay strong, he'd just shove it to the back of his mind and move forward, just like he tried to do now.

_I'm going home,_

_Back to the place where I belong,_

_And where your love has always been enough for me._

_I'm not running from._

_No, I think you got me all wrong._

_I don't regret this life I chose for me._

_But these places and these faces are getting old_

_So I'm going home._

_Well I'm going home._

The young scientist continued to walk, gazing at the piles of snow that lay scattered across the ground. The grass felt stiff and crispy underneath his boots, but he paid it no mind and just continued on, wondering about his family and wondering about home. All he had here was Alfons Heiderich. A young man who very much resembled his younger brother and who he'd become very close friends with. They had met at Dr. Oberth's and resumed studying rocketry together. Edward had hoped against hope that by studying this science, he might be able to find a way to go back home. In fact, he'd been so determined and made himself believe that by doing this he would find a way back that he'd dedicated his life's work to this. He told stories to Alfons about his home, this other world that was just on the other side of the gate, but the rocket engineer had just laughed at him and told him to become a novelist. Back when he was younger, Edward probably would have gotten angry, but he didn't. He tried to understand how the things the blond was telling his friend would sound far fetched. Despite all of that there were really only a few times a year that would pull at the young scientist's heartstrings and making him long even more for home. That was Winry and Al's birthdays, Christmas and Oct 3rd.

Edward found himself a spot in the grass and plopped down, biting his lip to fight back lonely, bitter tears he could feel creeping up beneath his golden irises. He missed everyone so much so that was inexplainable. He was lonely and nobody could fill the empty void in his heart the way that Alphonse and Winry could. The blond reached his left hand up, placing it carefully on his counterfiet limb. He loathed these limbs he wore in this world, but if it wouldn't have been for Hohenhiem, he wouldn't his arm or leg at all. When he tried to bring back his brother, his right arm and left leg were taken once more in the equivalent exchange, but he was also brought here. Edward couldn't feel angry about this though. This was the life that had been chosen for him when he tried to bring his brother back. He didn't regret it though as long as his brother was alive and living the life he should have four years ago. Ed just hated the hell that had been allotted for him.

_The miles are getting longer, it seems,_

_The closer I get to you._

_I've not always been the best man or friend for you._

_But your love, remains true._

_And I don't know why._

_You always seem to give me another try._

Somehow and some way, Edward didn't know how, but he knew that his brother was alive and living in his human body on the other side of the gate. He also knew that Winry, Pinako, Izumi and the others were taking good care of him in his stead. For the first time in his life, at this very moment, he longed for the automail that Winry had always so graciously and generously put so much thought and time into to make for him. He missed the familiar feel of the steel of the automail, flexing the fingers, the gentle pressure he'd feel from her hands while she worked on his arm or squeezed his metal fingertips. His had been the only automail she'd ever tenderly carressed just like she would a real, human arm. However at times it seemed as though the closer Edward got to a new development into the rocketry with Alfons, the further away home seemed to get. It angered him. Sometimes, all the familiar faces he knew from home seemed to become a blur, and the blond would grip onto them with all of his mental and emotional strength, not wanting to lose those memories of the ones he'd loved so much. Sometimes even his brother's face would start to fade, sending him into a torrent of curses and often accompanying tears. He never allowed Alfons to see just how nostalgic and desolate he felt. Edward wouldn't let his friend see how lonely he'd become, but in his times alone, he found himself delving into thoughts of going back home; back into Winry's arms and by his little brother's side.

The blond could also remember all the times he'd treated his mechanic so poorly, and that just infuriated him all over again. He clenched his gloved fists against the grass, feeling the crisp blades break off into his hands. Though no matter how terrible he'd been to her, how hard he'd tried to hold back his feelings, Winry had always been there with open arms to hold him, to comfort him in his times of need and to love him. The beautiful blonde had never once pushed him away. It had taken the alchemist awhile to realize that he loved his mechanic. He could never tell her though. Ed loved her so much that it hurt, but he couldn't allow it to show to her. There had been many things he had to do at the present time. His first priority had been to get his younger brother back into his body just as he'd promised, and honestly Edward didn't know if he'd come out of it alive. The blond had always felt that it would be selfish of him to allow himself to succumb to the romance he'd longed to show the mechanic and that it would be just cruel to Winry if he tried to pursue something with her only to end up leaving her behind just like Hohenhiem had done to Trisha. The young scientist didn't want Winry to end up like how his mother did, so he kept his love for her hidden and made sure she never found out. Now he wished he'd at least said something to her before he'd left her for the last time.

_So I'm going home,_

_Back to the place where I belong,_

_And where your love has always been enough for me._

_I'm not running from._

_No, I think you got me all wrong._

_I don't regret this life I chose for me._

_But these places and these faces are getting old._

Edward tugged on some of the crisp grasp in between his thumb and forefinger, as his sentiments continued to invade his mind and wind themselves around all the times he'd spent with his brother and with Winry. He was tired of being in this strange world. The land was completely foreign to him. There was no use of alchemy here which was a part of him. That part seemed to die away once he'd arrived in this world. Everything was so dull and colorless compared to _his_ world. It was even much more cold here as well. Sure, Ed had seen a lot of familiar faces. He'd met Officer Hughes, the Hughes of this world, but there were major differences in between the two. The Hughes from back in Amestris had been killed, but before that he'd been a very outgoing, cheerful and noisy man. He had always carried around pictures of his little girl Elysia and showed them off to everyone he came in contact with. He was definitely the epitomy of a doting daddy. The blond let out a small snicker as he remembered just how nice and insane the Lieutenant Colonel, now named Brigadier General, had been.

Another one was Edward and Alfons's landlady. She was the doppleganger of the Gracia from back home. Gracia had been Hughes's wife before he met his untimely demise. However, this Gracia was just as sweet and warm as the other one had been, which always made the blond look forward to seeing her. Even though they were familiar faces, they weren't the ones he longed for back home. In fact, sometimes he was getting tired of seeing them day after day, except for maybe Alfons. Often, he'd even found himself looking at Alfons as his little brother, and then would the blond mentally slap himself in the back of the head and remind himself that this was Alfons Heiderich and _not_his little brother, Al.

_Be careful what you wish for,_

_'Cause you just might get it all._

_You just might get it all,_

_And then some you don't want._

_Be careful what you wish for,_

_'Cause you just might get it all._

_You just might get it all, yeah._

Edward choked back a sob, trying not to allow his emotions to get the better of him, but he just couldn't hold it in any longer. The feeling had crept on him earlier in the day while he and Alfons had been in the hanger. His friend had questioned him, wondering if he was alright, but the blond had just lied and told him he wasn't feeling well and decided to go home a little early. He still managed to keep up his cheerful front when they got back. Edward had went straight to his room, not saying anything more to the confused rocket engineer and decided to take a nap, hoping that it would wash out all of the anguish that had so unexpectedly built up inside of him. However when he woke it hadn't, but that had only been because his dreams were full of Winry, Alphonse and all the people he was aching to be with. They were filled with the rolling green hills that was Resembool, the bright, golden glowing sun, the gentle rush of the wind in his hair, the scent of the river, Winry's soft hands plaiting his hair. That was when he told Alfons he was going for a walk. He'd hope the cold, night winter air would clear his head, but it only made him think and reminisce even more. Alone out here on the ground, he finally allowed the tears to escape, streaming uncerimoniously down his cheeks. He never did hear the footsteps approach him from behind.

"There you are," came a warm, familiar male voice. "I was wondering where you'd went off too. You've been gone for a really long time, Ed. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Edward replied in a voice barely above a whisper. He fought shamefully to keep the trepidation out of his voice, but he just couldn't. He averted his eyes and turned his head so Alfons couldn't see his face.

"Are you alright, Ed? What's wrong?" Alfons questioned, worry imminent in his tone. He could tell Edward was upset about something.

"I just wanna go home, Alfons," Edward found himself admitting to his best friend. The words had just come spilling like a waterfall before he even had a chance to hold them back and he found himself pouring his heart out to his friend. "I miss my brother and I miss Winry. All I want is to just go home," he told him, allowing himself to succumb to his sobs of longing, of bitterness, of lonliness.

Edward dropped his head, allowing his golden bangs to curtain his face from the inundation of tears that were unwantingly cascading down his cheeks now. Alfons didn't mistake it though. He knew his friend was lonely. Even after hearing all the stories from Edward and as much he didn't want to believe they were true, they really were. Just seeing the normally cocky, strong and composed man like this made that fact known. Edward had never been one to allow his feelings to show. He always kept Alfons wondering if he even _had_ emotions. If Ed wasn't cheerful, then he was just quiet, eyes either staring straight forward or nose buried in a book. However this was a side to the blond, Alfons had never seen.

"I can only imagine how hard that must be for you, but just so you know you're not alone here, Ed. I'm here for you too," the rocket engineer told him, kneeling down behind his friend and placing a hand on his flesh shoulder.

"I know I'm not alone. I'm grateful that I at least have you for a friend, but at the same time...it's hard to explain," the blond told him, reluctant to explain himself. He just didn't want Alfons to think that he didn't care, because he did. It was just hard to get close to him for fear of losing him as well. "I know it's probably really selfish of me huh?" Edward laughed bitterly through his tears. "I mean, wanting to be back with my brother. I wanted him back so badly. I wanted him to just...be alive again. Trying to do that got me more than what I bargained for, I guess. I didn't want this, but I have no choice." He ran one of his gloved hands down his face to wipe away his tears.

_Oh, well I'm going home,_

_Back to the place where I belong,_

_And where your love has always been enough for me._

_I'm not running from._

_No, I think you got me all wrong._

_I don't regret this life I chose for me._

_But these places and these faces are getting old._

_I said these places and these faces are getting old._

_So I'm going home._

_I'm going home._

Alfons just sighed as he squeezed Edward's left shoulder gently. He'd heard the young man whisper in his sleep at night. He'd heard the names Al and Winry more than once. It still seemed so very strange to him that there was really another world and how this boy had ended up here. Yet still, seeing his friend so distressed, so anguished it put the truth into his logic and Alfons knew that Edward hadn't been making up all these stories.

"You love her, don't you?" he questioned his friend gently.

"W-what?" Edward stammered, his golden eyes widening at Alfons's words. He inclined his head over his shoulder to look back at the smiling face of his best friend. "What do you mean?" The blond raised a thin, golden eyebrow.

"I mean, I've heard you whisper her name in your sleep. Winry I think is what you've said. You don't just miss your brother, but you miss her too, don't you?" the rocket engineer pointed out with a smile so evident that Edward could have slapped him if he were in a better mood.

The young scientist just sighed and dropped his head back down once more to stare the grass. "Yeah...I do...I miss her and love her. I just never told her, Alfons. I really wish I had now," he spoke in a voice barely audible.

"C'mon Ed. Let's go back to the apartment. It's getting cold and the snow is really starting to come down," Alfons proposed gently. "We can talk some more back there if you feel like it."

"Yeah...I guess. Maybe it'd be good to talk about it...," Edward replied sound slightly reluctant. He stood up on his feet and began heading back towards the city. "Listen Alfons...don't think...," he hesitated before continuing. "Don't think I'm taking our friendship for granted. I appreciate all the help and encouragement you give me."

"I know, Ed," Alfons stated, falling into step with the young, golden-haired man. "All this means is that we just need to work harder. We'll get you home, somehow. I promise."

Edward just gazed up at Alfons's smiling face and he felt his heart warm slightly. He really was lucky to have Alfons as his friend, and Ed also knew that he never broke a promise to anyone. As they walked back down the familiar path that led them to their apartment, Edward felt himself smile a bit. _Winry...Al, I'm coming home. We'll all be together again soon. _


	10. Chapter 10

**It's Tradition**

Edward groaned, rather loudly. In fact, he groaned resoundingly enough that everyone in the small room turned to gaze at him with curious expressions on their faces.

"Brother? Is everything alright?" Alphonse questioned, crossing the room to where the alchemist was currently planted on the couch. He was clutching a warm cup of eggnog in between his hands and grinning.

Edward's right elbow was leaning on the armrest and his chin was plopped into his gloved, metal hand. For the last four hours or so, the Elrics, Winry, Pinako, Roy and Riza had spent decorating the Rockbell home for Christmas. He still didn't understand why people got so involved with decorating an entire house. Earlier, he and Al spent most of the afternoon placing strings of lights all across the roof of the Rockbell home, around the trees outside and strung them across the porch as well. Now they were done, and Winry was just finishing up hanging the last of the tinsel and had moved to the window to finish.

The older Elric however, was growing rather bored. Pinako, who had made them all cups of fresh eggnog, had been currently engaged in conversation with the two military officials across the room, whom for once was not dressed in military attire. Roy was dressed in a very nice red, button-down shirt and black, freshly pressed dress slacks. Riza had on a satin blue dress with spaghetti straps that criss-crossed in the back. Her long, golden-blonde hair that she normally wore up, was down around her shoulders. Everybody was dressed up in their best for the occasion. Edward was wearing a dark green, dress, button down shirt made of a very soft material, that Winry had talked him into buying, and a pair of dress khakis. His golden hair was tied back in it's usual braid. His brother was dressed the same, except his shirt was white. Pinako was even done up as well. Upon hearing the alchemist's groan they had stopped to face him, Mustang with an eyebrow raised, a look suggesting 'what the hell is your problem' in his onyx eyes.

"Is this _all _we're going to do is just sit here and drink eggnog and stare at the tree? It's decorated, the lights are up, the tree is on and now we're just sitting here. I'm getting bored," he grumbled placing his mug down on an end table next to him.

"Edward, you're just never satisfied are you?" came an exasperated voice from the window. "I'm trying to get the rest of this done before the party starts."

There was a blond woman standing on a chair and hanging up what looked to the alchemist like a bunch of green leaves with white balls hanging off of them. She turned around to stare down at the older Elric from her chair, hands planted firmly on her slender hips. Edward was about to take a sip from his mug when he stopped the cup halfway to his mouth. He couldn't help but notice how incredibly attractive his mechanic looked tonight, even when she was irritated with him. She was wearing a long, strapless red dress that tied up at the back of her neck. The material was made of a glistening fabric so whenever she moved and the light caught her just right, it looked as though her dress were shimmering. The mechanic also had her sunlight, blonde hair pulled into an elegant updo he'd never seen on her before. She had long, light-gold ringlets falling around her neck and shoulders accompanied by loose, curled tendrils and a red-glittered gold poinsettia. Edward could feel the heat rising on his cheeks and hurriedly turned away from her and back to his eggnog before anybody could catch him staring at Winry. The last thing he wanted was Mustang to give him hell for checking out his automail engineer.

"Shaddap," the golden-haired man shot back, regaining any lost composure at Winry's sight. "You know I can't stand sitting around here and doing nothing. When's everybody supposed to be here anyway?"

"Well, Havoc should be here soon. Fuery is coming and so is Armstrong. Havoc's also bringing his new girlfriend for us to meet," Mustang spoke up with what sounded like a sarcastic snicker. The Flame Alchemist leaned back in the chair he was sitting in and tipped back his mug for another sip of eggnog.

"Yeah, it'll be interesting to meet her. According to Havoc she's his dream girl," Riza replied with a chuckle. Edward couldn't help but grin slightly. He'd never really seen the Lieutenant so relaxed and open with people. Then again, she and Roy had been dating for quite awhile now. Every since then, the older woman had seemed quite a bit different.

Edward was about to open his mouth and say something when a loud crash followed by a scream came from the kitchen. "OOOOOOOOOH NOOOOOOOOOO!! I'VE RUINED IT!!!!!" a familiar wail came drifting through the doorway. Everybody had jumped up from their seats and dashed past Winry and Edward, into the kitchen.

"Scieszka what did you-," Winry began, ready to leap down from the chair and follow the rest to the kitchen to help her friend. However she'd forgotten she was wearing strapped heels on her feet and began toppling over, losing balance on the chair. "WOAH!" she cried out as the mechanic completely lost her footing, and the chair slid out from under her.

"Shit!" Edward lept up from the spot he was sitting at on the couch and dashed to the window the moment he saw Winry start to fall. She was about two feet from the ground when the older Elric leaned downward and caught her in his arms before she could hit the floor. Winry had her azure eyes squeezed tightly shut, and her hands drawn up to her chest were in fists as she prepared herself to land on the hardwood floor. However, she never expected to land on something softer than the floor. The automail technician slowly opened her eyes with a bewildered expression on her face to see that Edward had caught her before she fell. A warm, pink blush sprinkled across her cheeks as she found herself staring up into intense, golden irises.

"You okay?" the alchemist questioned, still holding Winry in his arms.

"Y-yeah...just scared me is all," she told him breathlessly, a hand on her chest. The blonde's heart was positively pounding against her hand, though she wasn't sure if it were pounding because the fall had shocked her, or if it was pounding because of how close she and Edward currently were. He wasn't letting go of her either.

"You scared me. I thought you were going to get hurt," the older Elric admitted, a blush also rising on his face. Edward was leaned down on one knee, still holding Winry in his arms before he realized what was going on. Swiftly, the mechanic lept out of his arms and stood up, brushing off her dress and touching her hair to make sure it was still okay and the poinsettia was still firmly in place. Edward had abruptly stood, placing his hand on the back of his head and rubbing it, determined not to look at Winry.

"So...uhhh, you sure you're alright then?" he asked, staring up at the ceiling, his golden eyes swiveling back and forth across it as though trying to study it's structure and still not looking at his mechanic.

"Yes, I'm fine," Winry insisted and she also looked upward. The girl let out a small gasp as her eyes met where they were standing. "Ummm, hey Ed, do you realize where we're standing?" she inquired, tugging on the soft green sleeve of his shirt.

"Huh? What?" the alchemist sputtered, startled by Winry tugging on his shirt. She pointed upward a finger upward at the mass of green leaves they were currently placed underneath. "Uhhh...uhhh ummm...," he tried to say, coming to realize that himself and his mechanic were standing unexpectedly underneath the mistletoe. Edward was no fool, and he knew one of the oldest Christmas traditions in history was the kiss under the mistletoe. His heart began pounding so heavily against his ribcage that he thought it might burst through his flesh and land on the floor.

"Yeah we're...under the mistletoe," Winry told him with a nervous, hesitant laugh, the blush becoming even more pink on her cheeks.

"Yeah, I s-suppose we are," Edward told her. "Well uhh...nobody's in here and we can't, well...we can't break a Christmas tradition can we?"

"Oh!" Winry voiced softly, surprise imminent in her tone. Certainly she never in a million years expected that Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist wouldn't want to break a Christmas tradition, especially a kissing one. "Well, no I guess not. It'd be kinda sacrilege huh?"

The mechanic and the alchemist began moving closely towards one another, staring at each other with apprehension and intenseness in both of their eyes. Edward reached his hand out, placed it around Winry's waist and pulled her close to him. Winry brought her arms up and wrapped them around Edward's shoulders. She had to fight back a small giggle at realizing that he'd finally grown taller than her.

"Winry," he began, tenderly laying his hand on the side of her face and staring down into her glistening, ice blue orbs.

Edward leaned down slowly while Winry leaned upward and their lips met in a gentle brush. Her eyes fluttered shut at the chaste kiss. However it was obvious that they both wanted more than just a soft peck and so Edward dove down once more, capturing her lips softly in between his own. The blonde opened her lips and prodded at the alchemist's with her tongue, asking for entrance to which he obliged. Her warm tongue entered his mouth and massaged his appendage. He returned the favor, exploring her mouth with his own. The two were so lost and engrossed in their kiss that they never heard the group from the kitchen return back into the living room. At least, not until they were interrupted by Mustang clearing his throat.

"Well, it's nice to see that Fullmetal knows how to follow tradition," Roy said teasingly, a very cocky grin on his face. Riza came up behind him and smacked him on top of the head, scolding him for picking on the alchemist.

"Way to go, Brother!" shouted Alphonse gleefully.

"Nice move, pipsqueak!" came another cocky voice which Ed had come to recognize as Havoc's. When in the hell did he get there?

Winry and Edward quickly broke apart and jumped back away from each other, staring off to the side and not looking at one another. Edward's face could have passed for a lobster and if Winry had a wrench, it no doubt would have been on Mustang's skull.

"Oh please, continue. It's not like you were doing anything against military orders or anything, Fullmetal," Mustang continued with his usual beleaguering.

"Oh shut up," Edward grumbled, turning his back towards everyone and stared out of the window at the gentle snow falling outside of the house. He smirked to himself and seen that Winry had also joined him to look out the window, determined not to face everyone else that still stood dumbfounded in the doorway. Their eyes met and they shared a knowing smile. Their expressions were unreadable to everyone else, but to Edward and Winry, they both knew that this kiss wasn't just a traditional mistletoe kiss.


End file.
